DINESH CHAND - A GRASSROOTS SPIRITUAL HUMANITARIAN,
RISING FOR THE POOR IN THE COMMUNITY
Thakur
Ranjit Singh
There was a moment of surprise in the
overflowing Malaeola Community Centre
when a name for the GIRMIT LEGACY AWARD was announced. This was at FIJI GIRMIT
FOUNDATION NZ- organized 142nd Anniversary of Fiji Girmit
Remembrance Day ON 7 May 2021.
 |
| A modest DINESH CHAND, the recipient of Fiji Girmit Legacy Award - EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE VOLUNTEER. Note his distinct handlebar moustache. |
The Foundation felt that there was a vacuum in our awards system in New Zealand because many individual awards out there are given to those who are already paid to do what they do, hence such awards sound hollow and pointless.
Anybody getting any funding and paying themselves handsomely and distributing or using leftover for others are not necessarily great.
Great are those from normal walks of life, a common man, an “aam aadmi”, one who takes own time and use own resources, beyond call of duties, without any support or funding or even any wish to be applauded - but keeps on doing that extra bit for the vulnerable in the community. And doing that for decades.
Therefore, this year the Foundation decided to add an award to recognize such an individual for selfless service.
And that is EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE VOLUNTEER AWARD.
And that deserving individual, ladies and gentlemen, is DINESH CHAND
And this was the moment of surprise.
We all expected somebody in suit and tie walking up
from the VIP seating area.
 |
| MC Bipin Shankar (left), with Award Recipient, Dinesh Chand, who was given the Legacy Award by Jennifer Khan - Janif, a Trustee of FIJI GIRMIT FOUNDATION NZ |
Lo and behold, that was not so. But a very modestly,
but nicely - dressed volunteer videographer who has been shooting the
activities of the event, handed his big, sophisticated video camera to a friend,
and stepped onto the stage.
And this, ladies, and gentlemen, was DINESH CHAND - one of us, but very much more than many of us, our busy videographer of the event, better known in the community as DJ DINESH.
A tall, big, and handsome man, with a distinctive handlebar moustache was smiling to receive his very deserving, and long overdue award.
 |
| Dinesh Chand, with his Girmit Legacy Award and wth his tell-tale handlebar moustache, in front of FIJI GIRMIT FOUNDATION NZ banner. |
But bigger is his heart – a great deal bigger than his pockets, but still he has been spending the little he has and sharing with the less fortunate in our community.
The citation of his award was long because of the many
good things he has been doing for the community. It read:
There is great deal more he has been delivering as a philanthropic, spiritual human being, without any support from anywhere, completely on a voluntary basis, that many do not know about. There is a long list.
 |
| Dinesh Chand, with library books, distributed in various Fiji schools |
1) Helping underprivileged children of Fiji, by providing books, stationery, bags, shoes, and school uniforms.
2) Sending wheelchairs, walkers, walking sticks to disabled people in Fiji.
3) Providing free transport to vulnerable people of South Auckland to doctors, hospitals, WINZ and other similar needs.
4) During COVID lockdown, he worked with Fiji Girmit Foundation NZ with shopping, getting prescriptions to people without, delivering food parcels to disabled people and shopping and drop - off to people in isolation. Recently, he has started taking elderly to funerals.
 |
| The family photo (montage) of Dinesh Chand |
In
the past decade, he had been spending much time in Fiji while bringing us all
the news, documentary, and current affairs of Fiji on Triangle TV as a
Freelance TV Program Producer.
This TV closed in 2011. The programmes he brought were, among others, – Jharokha NZ (Windows), Dehatee Darsan (View of the Rural) and Bhakti Sagar (Religious).
I personally remember doing a Fiji Girmit programme with him in 2008, but because technology was on VHS tapes and not digital, those unfortunately could not be saved.
Like the situation of another recipient of Girmit Legacy Award, Sam Achary, Dinesh also left Fiji in search of better opportunities after coup of 1987. He is from a rustic, dusty village of Wairabetia, almost halfway between Lautoka and Nadi Airport.
However, he is well-rooted in my home-village of Rarawai, Dam, Ba,
Fiji where his mother comes from and where he spent great deal of his childhood
at his Grandfather’s (Nana’s) place. His parents now reside in Calgary, Canada,
and they would be proud of his son.
 |
| The proud parents of Dinesh Chand, Mr. and Mrs. Shashi Pal, who reside in Calgary, Canada. They are overjoyed with |
Dinesh arrived in NZ in 1988, just out of his teens as a young man of 21, with very modest cash to carry him through. He has very impressive work history and real -life experience which appear to have made him into a philanthropic donor, a compassionate servant of the poor and a grassroots person.
He has been unnoticed doing things for poorer in our community. Unnoticed till now when Fiji Girmit Foundation NZ wishes to reveal such individuals amongst us to inspire others into doing selfless service.
Arriving at a tender age, through his real-life experience, and
with diverse work experience and an aptitude to help others, he is now
developed into a mature person with even a matured compassion for the
vulnerable.
His colourful career, among others, included being a paints salesman, a dispatch clerk, a team leader, an Uber driver, a taxi driver, a courier operator, a night club proprietor, a transport operator, freelance Tv reporter and work stretched from Auckland to Wellington with frequent trips to Fiji for TV programmes.
But
ultimately, he settled for what he was doing on the night of receiving his
award - videography, shooting video for events. As a Multi DJ, he also runs DJ
programme for dance and parties, and has very advanced knowledge of music for
all occasions and tastes.
Apart from earning a living, he spends
much time also living for others.
He shared a heart-touching story about a homeless lady and an abandoned
boy:
 |
| Dinesh Chand with the homeless Ba market vendor, Tulsi Amma, who he helped in 2004. She passed away in 2009,. |
I helped a lady from Ba – Tulsi Amma. She was a market vendor and sleeping under the stall. This was during my TV days in Fiji in 2004. I moved her to a 1-bedroom flat and paid for her expenses till her death in 2009. When she died, the Ba Police called me as I was registered as her next of kin. I flew from NZ to manage and attend her funeral.
 |
The abandoned destitute child, Dewa Nand, who Dinesh Chand adopted, and saw him through school and Teachers College till he graduated. |
In 2005, a young Fiji Indian boy was left in Waidradra Village, Navua by his father, who promised the villagers he would return. But he never came back for his son. I adopted him as a son, named Dewa Nand, who later changed his name to Sakaraia Anisikau Raicalo. I paid all school and College fees and living expenses that saw him graduate from Lautoka Teachers College with Bachelor of Education as a high school teacher.
 |
Dewa Nand, the once abandoned adopted son of Dinesh Chand, took on an Itaukei (Fijian) name of Sakaraia Anisikau Raicalo. He is seen as a grown up graduate from Lautoka Teachers College in Fiji. |
He also helps people in other ways through other agencies he heads or works with. He is President of NZ branch of Yaadein Vision, a charitable organization which extends its helping arm to Fiji. This includes equipping schools and making improvements.
Yaadein Vision has provided water reticulation, bus shelters, thousands of
schoolbooks, computers, faxes, and scanners, 100 new wheelchairs, power
generation and has sponsored 1000 students at 50 schools. He has also linked up
with Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation to help them and publicize the good they
do through TV documentaries.
 |
| A bus shelter being built in Fiji by Dinesh Chand as part of a project of Yaadein Vision |
Closer to home, Dinesh has been at the forefront of
advocating on suicides and mental health issues facing the community in New
Zealand. In August 2020 he led a talanoa (hui, discussion) sessions by getting
the community together to acknowledge we have a problem. A number of positive
initiatives have since come out of that and will be taken on board in
progressing that issue which Fiji Girmit Foundation NZ has on its radar.
And nobody can stop him from the good he does. His next project, among others, include sending a 20-foot container of disability goods to Western Disabled People’s Association in Lautoka, Fiji. Dinesh would really love others to help and sponsor all the good that he does. He plans to venture into fund-raising dinner and dance family nite, and hopes, others, after reading his story, will be motivated to help.
 |
| Dinesh Chand with FIJI GIRMIT FOUNDATION NZ TRUSTEE, Jennifer Khan-Janif, who presented him the award at an overflowing Malaeola Community Centre on 7 May 2021 |
A big salutation for such an individual
whose exceptional deeds for humanity would inspire others. He may not visit
Mandirs, Temples or religious activities, he does not feed milk and food to dead
statues, but believes in service to the living who need those food and help.
Hinduism says the best good a human can do is to do “parr hitt”, service to
humanity and creatures of God. He does exactly that.
I normally use poems to pass
messages to community. In Sam Achary’s writings, I mentioned the poem “IF”.
In Dinesh Chand’s case, I use my secondary school, DAV College, Ba’s famous poem,
Leigh Hunt’s “ABOU BEN ADHEM”. This was taught by the then principal,
Satendra Singh. The message of this
poem is that the people who love their fellow men will be blessed and
loved by God himself ... The poem ultimately argues
that love of humankind is love of God - because people are
God's creation.
In
essence, the poem is saying that anyone who claims to love God,
without putting this into practice first through a love for their
fellow human beings, does not really love God at all. I certainly
hope that so - called religious people can comprehend this simple message.
I
am not sure if Dinesh has ever read this poem, in fact he does not have to.
This is because he unselfishly and unconsciously walks in these footsteps,
because he shows his love for God by loving humankind and creatures of God.
Indeed,
we are stirred and motivated by this lover of humans. And he remains simple,
modest common man, armed with a video camera,
but a heart full of love for his fellow citizens.
Dinesh
Chand, MULTI DJ remains a very worthy recipient of Fiji Girmit Legacy Award for excellence in
volunteer service to the community.
You
make us proud. Aayushmaan Bhava-remain blessed.
[About the Author: Thakur Ranjit Singh is one of the initiators and a Founding Trustee of FIJI GIRMIT FOUNDATION NZ. The seeds were planted in 2012 with some visionary community leaders, fruiting in 2021 with over 1,500 overflowing audience in Auckland Girmit Day. He is a journalist and runs his blog, FIJI PUNDIT. He normally writes in-depth articles on Fiji Indian community leaders that are overlooked or ignored by the mainstream and side stream media. E-mail: thakurjifj@gmail.com]
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