Chautala forgets Fiji hero, his money

Remember who was the most vociferous supporter of Mahendra Chaudhry, the ousted Prime Minister of Fiji, when he visited India days after the...

Remember who was the most vociferous supporter of Mahendra Chaudhry, the ousted Prime Minister of Fiji, when he visited India days after the coup? It was Om Prakash Chautala, chief minister of Haryana, who laid a red-carpet welcome for him. Two years down the line, not a single penny has been given to Chaudhry out of the money that had been collected for the ‘Fiji cause’. Worse, Chautala even refuses to meet Chaudhry now.

‘‘People of Haryana have donated for a cause and it should be handed over. I am hopeful that Chautala will honour the promise he made to the Indians of Fiji,’’ Chaudhry told The Indian Express.

This time in India as a guest of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Chaudhry has been unable to get an appointment with Chautala in spite of repeated attempts. In fact, a request through the official diplomatic route of the High Commission in Suva received no response from the Haryana government.

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However, 2000 was a picture of contrast: Chaudhry was conferred the title of the ‘son of the soil’ in a grand civic reception. Schoolchildren lined up to greet him en route to his village in Bahu Jamalpura near Rohtak. It was in one of those meetings that Chautala had urged people of Haryana to donate at least Rs 1 crore for their brethren in Fiji.

Emotions ran high for Chaudhry and the plight of Indians there and donations poured in. Chautala went out of his way to write a letter to the UN Secretary General Kofi Anan pointing out the injustice done to Chaudhry. ‘‘I, on behalf of the people of Haryana, humbly urge you to ensure safety of Chaudhry and other hostages,’’ he had said.

When Chaudhry made inquiries politely, he was told that Rs 2.5 crore had been collected and had been put in the bank. ‘‘I was not given anything and I decided to not press the matter further at that point,’’ said Chaudhry.

Chautala, in spite of repeated attempts, was not available for comment. Chaudhry says he would pursue the matter once he returns to Fiji as Chautala perhaps was ‘‘too busy to meet him this time.’’