Alapati Tataiya - The inspirational leader behind the founding of The National Federation Party - Fiji

National Federation Party - Fiji that started as the Citizens Federation in 1963, is 60 years old in 2023.

The roots of The National Federation Party under which the idea of the party was first mooted in Rakiraki by Alapati Kamma Tataiya born under the shady mango tree of Vaileka, Rakiraki, bearing witness to what evolved into an indestructible political force and the South Pacific’s oldest political party.

ALAPATI TATAIYA- who came to Fiji in 1890 as an indentured Labourer from Tenali, the Madras Presidency (now Andhra Pradesh) and settled in Qalau, Rakiraki.

As an avid community worker, he was involved in the launching and establishment of the Fiji Kisan Sangh in 1937 and Dakshina India Andhra Sangam of Fiji in 1941. By 1962, he was in the fold of the Cane Growers Federation after the successful advocacy for the cane growers by the late Mr. AD Patel before the Sir Malcolm Trustum Eve Commission in 1961.

It was Mr. Tataiya in 1963 who on the eve of the 1963 Fiji Legislative Council elections moved a motion that the Cane Growers Federation sponsor candidates for the Council elections at a meeting of the Cane Growers Federation in Vaileka, Rakiraki. 

The motion gave rise to the Citizens Federation to include non cane growers in the Federation Movement, sponsor candidates for the Council elections in 1963 and to carry out the preparatory work for the launch of the Federation Party in 1965. 

Since the historical meeting of the Cane Growers Federation was held in Vaileka, Rakiraki under the shade of seven mango trees, the mango tree became the symbol of the Federation and a staple feature on the ballot paper except for September, 1977 and 1987 elections. 

Many of the proteges of Mr. Tataiya such as Hon. Subramani Basawaiya and Hon. Ram Sami Gounder rose through the ranks of the NFP to national leadership while others like Mr. Krishna Mudaliar and his son Mr. Narsimullu Sirdar remained keen community workers and leaders at the local level in Rakiraki, Fiji. 

The Tataiya Memorial School on the Mallau hillside in Rakiraki is a standing tribute the people of the district have paid in the memory and recognition of the intervention this Girmitya made altering the socio economic and geo political development of Rakiraki and Fiji. So Ģallau,  Rakiraki originates the Andhra Sangam that is known in every district in Fiji. 

Gallau still has a strong background of Andhra such as Gallau Andhra Kalliamman temple,   Gallau Andhra Ramayan Mandali, a strong sporting and a champion Gallau Andhra Soccer team. Gallau Andhra is also in conjunction with a strong Tirikuttu natak team that is well known in Fiji in Gallau known as Rakiraki young superstars natakam.