The term vulagi

Tukai Lagonilakeba, Nadi

The application of the term Vulagi in the context of Mosese Bulitavu’s Facebook post is derogatory and insulting.

He is smart and is a qualified legal eagle, but in my view he is a total idiot and is disrespectful and inconsiderate.

In an iTaukei village set-up or a settlement, when a family is visited by a visitor from outside they are called vulagi, where the village will normally gather yaqona, harvests from the land and sea to accord the vulagi and their family their respect and welcome them with open arms, which is a cultural norm.

In my opinion, I totally disagree with the sentiments echoed by Ro Teimumu Fiji Sun page 5 July 18 relevant to the word “Vulagi”. She concurs that it is not derogatory and defends Bulitavu’s use of the word, vulagi is referred to someone who is a visitor and will be at certain place or house only for a little while or temporarily and is not permanent.

The maverick Bulitavu referred to IndoFijians as vulagi in the context that they are only here temporarily, which Ro Teimumu fully supports and I personally feel they are both very sick and irresponsible racist individuals.

Any Fijian of Indian descent is now being guaranteed their status in our 2013 Constitution, which was signed into effect by our current Speaker of Parliament Ratu Epeli Nailatikau in his capacity as our former President in October 2013, which allowed us to participate in our first September 14, 2014, democratic election.

The SODELPA gang in the Opposition have never accepted our Constitution, which now protects equal citizenry for all Fijians. This has never gone down well with Ro Teimumu Kepa, her cohorts and buddies.