Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka paid tribute to renowned philanthropist and business, the late Dewan Chand Maharaj at his funeral service in Suva today.
Chand was the founder of Quality Print Limited, co-founder of Sun Insurance Company, and was also the founder of the Kidney Foundation of Fiji.
The Prime Minister shared fond memories of his relationship with the late Mr Chand.
“With a very simple upbringing, on the banks of a river near a village. I do not know who adopted whom, whether he adopted the village or the villagers adopted him. But they remained great friends.”
Rabuka says they will remember the late Diwan Chand as a great soul who always had time for people from all walks of life.
“When you went to his office, there would always be somebody around who would come as part of a school committee or something, asking for work for some of those in the villages, to come and raise money for a local school.”
The PM’s sentiments were echoed by Mr Chand’s granddaughter, Sheetal Maharaj who described her late grandfather as a humble man who was full of love and was a source of strength for his children and grandchildren.