Forgotten? or forgiven? Ravikesh Prasad, Sabeto

In the movie Udham Singh, a radio announcement is being heard saying “like their elephants, the Indians never forget their enemy. They strike them down even after 20 years”.

I do not agree with the above as some of the Fijians of Indian descent have forgotten the actions of Sitiveni Rabuka and the chain of events that followed including the burning of Hindu places of worship by the 18 members of a church in Lautoka in 1989, as they have joined the same man who caused so much pain and suffering to the Fijians of Indian Descent.

There can be no comparison between the coup of 1987 to the military takeover in 2006 as claimed by the two failed politicians of yester-years in most of their rallies.

1987 coups brought this country to its knees and the division between the two major ethnic groups which remains to this day.

People of Fiji, especially Fijians of Indian descent have forgotten the circumstances that led to the 2006 takeover.

There was an under-representation of the 2nd major ethnic group in the Parliament. There was an ethnically based electoral system, introduction of ‘qoliqoli’ and indigenous tribunal bills and ethnically based scholarship system just to name a few of the policies to marginalise Fijians of Indian descent.

This year it has been 143 years since the first Indians were brought to Fiji under the indenture system.

We did not have a name, apart from ‘kaindia’ and Indo-Fijian. This Government gave us a name. This Government made education a level playing field and access to education is not racially biased.

I can still remember the days when iTaukei students with much lower marks were able to secure Fijian Affairs Board Scholarships to study abroad while Fijians of Indian Descent did not have such access.

This mentality of birth-right and handovers by previous Governments has created the education divide and it caused the marginalised group to work even harder.