Khemradj Kanhai (4 June 1912 – 26 November 1988) was a

Suriname Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, also considered as part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. It is a developing country with a Human Development Index, high level of human development; i ...

se politician of the VHP. Kanhai was born in

Paramaribo Paramaribo ( , , ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 241,000 people (2012 census), almost half of Suriname's p ...

. He studied bookkeeping, but failed his examination. He proceeded to work as a shop assistant at Sauwma, and later he became active in wholesale and retail. Kanhai was also a board member of the Chamber of Commerce and Factories. Kanhai was also active in politics as a board member of the 'Hindu Party' that merged in 1949 into the VHP of which he became the treasurer. At the

1951 Surinamese general election General elections were held in Surinam on 14 March 1951.Dieter Nohlen (2005) ''Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I'', p614 The result was a victory for the National Party of Suriname, which won 13 of the 21 seats. Results Ele ...

the two seats of the

Estates of Suriname The National Assembly (, commonly abbreviated "DNA") is the Parliament, representing the legislative branch of government in Suriname. It is a unicameral legislature. The assembly has been situated in the former park house at the Independence S ...

for the district Nickerie went to the VHP members Oedayrajsing Varma and Kanhai. Both were re-elected in 1955, but at the election in 1958 the VHP candidates Rambaran Mishre and Kanhai in that district lost to the candidates Poetoe and Kolhoe. In 1974, a year before Suriname became independent, he moved to Amsterdam where he died in 1988 at the age of 76.Khemradj Kanhai
archief.amsterdam

References

1912 births 1988 deaths Politicians from Paramaribo Members of the National Assembly (Suriname) Progressive Reform Party (Suriname) politicians Indo-Surinamese people Surinamese politicians of Indian descent {{Suriname-politician-stub