Moti Tikaram facts for kids

Sir Moti Tikaram (born March 18, 1925 – died May 17, 2012) was a very important person in Fiji. He was a judge in the highest court, called the Supreme Court of Fiji. He was also the first ombudsman for independent Fiji. An ombudsman is like a special helper who looks into complaints from people about government actions. Sir Moti Tikaram also helped manage football in Fiji.

He was the first person from Fiji to become a judge in the Supreme Court. He served on many different groups and was a supporter of several sports organizations.

His Work as a Judge and Ombudsman

Sir Moti Tikaram became Fiji's first Ombudsman in 1972. He held this job for a long time. When he retired in 1987, he was the longest-serving national ombudsman in the world!

After Fiji became a republic in 1987, he was asked to be a judge again. He then served for many years as the President of the Fiji Court of Appeal. He also acted as the Chief Justice of Fiji many times. The Chief Justice is the main judge in the country.

Helping Football in Fiji

Sir Moti Tikaram was the President of the Fiji Football Association from 1959 to 1960. He is known for making the football association open to all races. Before him, it was mainly for people of Indian descent. He helped change its name from the Fiji Indian Football Association to include everyone.

Awards He Received

• In 2007, he received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award. This award is given by the Indian government to people of Indian origin living abroad who have done great things.
• In 2009, he was given the "Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Award" in New Delhi, India. This was during celebrations for people of Indian origin around the world.

His Family

Sir Moti Tikaram was the great-uncle of a famous actor named Ramon Tikaram. He was also the great-uncle of a well-known singer and songwriter, Tanita Tikaram.