Tulsi Ram Sharma

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Tulsi Ram Sharma, MBE, was the first Indo-Fijian to qualify as a lawyer. After earning his law degree, he began practicing in Lautoka. He served one term in Fiji’s Legislative Council (1950–1953) for the North Western Indian Division.

Sharma was also a key figure in Fiji football. He became the second President of the Fiji Indian Football Association and served three terms: 1940–1945, 1948–1950, and 1954. Under his leadership, district football associations were formed and a regular inter-district tournament was organized. He encouraged players of all races to take part, and the association was later renamed the Fiji Football Association in 1961.

He was a founding member of the Maha Sangh, a farmers’ union, though his association with farmers’ unions was brief. In 1941 he was appointed to the Central Indian War Committee to help enlist Indian support for the war effort.

In 1950, in the sugar cane districts, two main unions were active: Kisan Sangh and Maha Sangh. The incumbent for the North West Indian Division was A. D. Patel, with Maha Sangh support, while Ayodhya Prasad was the preferred candidate of Kisan Sangh. Tulsi Ram also ran; Ayodhya Prasad withdrew in his favor to avoid splitting anti-Patel votes. With Kisan Sangh support, Tulsi Ram won 2,340 votes to 1,850. After the election, he declared neutrality so both unions could work together, but Kisan Sangh withdrew its support, leaving him a one-term member.