‘Racist’ statement

KOSITATINO Tikomaibolatagane finds a letter I wrote recently racist (FT 04/06).

I won’t argue with him. He can feel and say whatever he wants because all I’m doing is stating the facts. Here’s a problem I’ve always faced when addressing issues regarding the different ethnicities.

They will always say I’m racist instead of looking at the issue and the problem. Forget about race Mr Tikomaibolatagane and instead look at the issues. I have a whole list of issues regarding problems by the iTaukei and most are common knowledge.

The problem is many won’t first accept that they are the cause of these problems, and the same goes for Indo-Fijians and other races.

I’m going to state again that there are more young, middled aged, and old iTaukei patients in hospital than any other ethnic group. Yes there are many other ethnic groups in particularly Indo-Fijians, but most are older patients.

You hardly see young-middle aged Indo-Fijians compared to iTaukei.

Go observe carefully for yourself. I’ve been observing it over the past two years in the many times I’ve been admitted at CWM.

And for your information I have maternal links to Viseisei Vuda, Nukubalavu, Savusavu, and Naivaka, Naivakasiga, Bua, through my great great grandfather, my grandfather, and my mother. And all links are from chiefly descent. I speak and write the Bauan language fluently, and as of today through generations of intermarriages I am more iTaukei than anything else. So my concern is very much for the iTaukei as they are my people too and I am genuinely concerned about what’s happening to them.

As far as my sickness is concerned I do not have NCD but a rare hereditary kidney disease that’s in the family. My father died from it, I have it, and I’m hoping it doesn’t carry on. I live a healthy lifestyle and do my best to eat healthy local produce that we have so abundantly.

I’m certainly no racist!

SIMON JC HAZELMAN

Rava Estate, Savusavu