Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad has paid tribute to the Arya Samaj movement, celebrating its 150-year legacy of education, social reform and cultural preservation.
Speaking at the 2025 Arya Convention held at DAV Girls College in Samabula, Professor Prasad praised the organization for its encouraging impact on Fiji’s society.
He further says that they may be small in number, but their impact has been great, for instance establishing schools and a university that have uplifted generations.
He reflected on the movement’s origins in India in 1875 and its establishment in Fiji in 1918, where the founder, Maharishi Swami Dayanand Saraswati promoted women’s rights, religious freedom and equal access to education.
Professor Prasad adds that faith-based organizations will need to assist the government in promoting unity.
