Rishi Shankar facts for kids

Rishi Shankar (1934 – 2015) was a lawyer from Fiji. He was elected to the House of Representatives, which is like the main law-making group in Fiji. He was a member of Parliament for a short time in 1987.

Early Life and Career

Rishi Shankar was born in Lautoka, Fiji. He started his career as a police officer. He worked in the police force from 1953 until 1965.

After his time as a police officer, he decided to study law. He went to Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand to learn about law.

When he returned to Fiji, he rejoined the police force for a while. Later, in 1974, he started working for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. This office helps the government with legal cases.

In 1976, he left government work. He opened his own law firm in a town called Ba. He also helped his local community. From 1982 to 1985, he served as a Nadi Town Councillor. This meant he helped make decisions for the town of Nadi.

Becoming a Politician

In 1987, Rishi Shankar decided to run for Parliament. He was chosen by the NFP–Labour Coalition to be a candidate. This group was a team of political parties working together.

He ran for the Nadi Indian Communal Constituency. He won the election easily and became a Member of Parliament. This was a big achievement for him.

However, his time in Parliament was very short. He was a member for only about one month.

The 1987 Coup

In 1987, there was a military coup in Fiji. A military coup is when the army takes control of the government by force. This event suddenly ended his political career.

Rishi Shankar was lucky because he was not in Parliament when soldiers took over. Because he was not there, he was not arrested like some other members. He later managed to escape to New Zealand.