Fiji Anti-Indian Racism

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NOTE: IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT ALOT OF THIS FIJIAN ANTI-INDIAN RACISM HAS

BEEN STIRRED UP BY CHRISTIAN FANATICS. OTHERWISE FIJIANS WOULD RECOGNIZE THEIR

CULTURAL AFFINITY WITH INDIA.Vrin

>"Ashwini Kumar"

>Fiji >Wed, 07 Aug 2002 23:23:22 -0400 > > > >. Fiji Minister

Criticises Country's IndiansSource:

>http://news.sify.com/cgibin/sifynews/news/content/news_fullstory_v2.jsp?arti

>cle_oid=11788501&page;_no=1 >SUVA, FIJI, August 3, 2002: A Fiji cabinet

minister who likened >ethnic >Indians to "weeds taking up space" this week came

under fierce >attack from >politicians, Fiji's ethnic Indian community and

women's groups. >Minister for >Women Asenaca Caucau made the remark in

Parliament and Prime >Minister >Laisenia Qarase's silence over the issue has

not helped his >government's >image. Race relations are tense among Fiji's

830,000 people, 51 >percent of >whom are indigenous Polynesian or Melanesian,

while 44 percent are >ethnic >Indian. An Indian-dominated government was

overthrown in a coup in >1987 and >the first Indian Prime Minister, Mahendra

Chaudhry, was overthrown >in a 2000 >coup. Caucau told Parliament Monday that

Indians were like weeds >taking up >space just as they were doing globally. She

was speaking in Fijian. >She >blamed Chaudhry for the 2000 coup attributing it

to his "arrogant >leadership >style." Later she told television her comments

were "not racist." >Unlike >previous reactions to such widespread outcry

against this >government, there >has been no letter in support of Caucau or the

State and no >government >official has come to her defense. >4. Fiji Military

Recruits Indian Officers For First TimeSource:

>http://news.sify.com/cgi-bin/sifynews/news/content/news_fullstory_v2.jsp?art

>icle_oid=11122731&page;_no=1 >AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, March 6, 2002: Ethnic

Indians have been >admitted to >the officer ranks of Fiji's battered military

force, 60 years after >their >grandfathers raised a controversy for not signing

up to fight the >Japanese >during World War II. "It's been my childhood ambition

to become a >soldier >and to serve the nation," Shalesh Kumar, 20, told the Fiji

Sun on >Wednesday. >He was one of 10 ethnic Indians signed into the Republic of

Fiji >Military >Forces (RFMF) officer cadet corps for the first time. At one

press >conference during the 2000 coup drama, then RFMF spokesman >Lieutenant

>Colonel Filipo Tarakinikini, referring to World War II, said that >rather

>than fight even when the Japanese were close by, Fiji's Indians went >on

>strike for more pay. Journalist Shubha Singh, whose father served in >Fiji as

>an Indian diplomat, notes the long-term impact in a just-published >book,

>Fiji: A Precarious Coalition. "To this day, the Fijians point to the >Indian

>reluctance to join the armed forces as a negative feature that >called into

>question their loyalty to their new homeland." Around 51 percent of >Fijis

>800,000 people are indigenous Fijian and 44 percent Indian. > MSN Photos is

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