General election, China protest
March to the ballot box
THE countdown for the general election 2022 had already begun the day our President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere issued the writ.
It’s nine more days to the polls. While the applications for the postal ballots have closed, the prepolling is scheduled to commence on Monday, December 5.
Campaigns are gradually reaching its peak for some parties and candidates while others are still beating around the bush. On the front page of The Fiji Times (03/12), an interesting article is requesting all voters to march to the ballot box since one does not need a permit for that. Bullseye!
Indeed, all eligible and registered voters should go to their assigned polling stations on December 14 to vote. It’s your constitutional right, so you better exercise your rights. I’m not going to tell you whom to vote for as the choice is entirely yours. Either tick or cross or circle the candidate number of your preference. Do not invalidate the ballot paper. Make your vote count!
Mahatma Gandhi once said and I quote: “Your future depends on what you do today.” Let’s decide the future of our children and grandchildren wisely.
DINESH KUMAR
Ba
Hard work is rewarded!
CONGRATULATIONS to those students who have received their awards!
Seeing them with their prizes brings back memories of my days when we looked forward to the school’s annual awards day, for we were going to be rewarded for our hard work and dedication throughout the academic year.
Reading the story of the dux of Ratu Finau Secondary School Year 13 student Lore Sera Sarawa (FT: 30/11) refreshed memories from school days. I’m glad The Fiji Times was able to cover her successful story which inspired our students.
Lore, who attributed her reward to the love and support provided by her parents, shared that she witnessed the struggles of her mother who carried the role of homemaker through caring for the family. She said her success was a result of her taking her parent’s advice to work hard at school.
She urged youngsters to never forget the sacrifices their parents made for them.
After reading her story, I glanced through the Kaila newspaper and I was thrilled to read the stories. The colourful pictures added glamour. Hats off to the Kaila! newspaper team for capturing aptly those special moments of our children! We bid November good bye with positive vibes and the message that hard work is rewarded. RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM Nadawa, Nasinu
Borrowing issue
IN a rally I heard a speaker mention that Mr Rabuka will be borrowing money from overseas as well should he come into power and was comparing the borrowing line between both parties and making it seem like there won’t be much difference in terms of borrowing.
What about the money going to waste? They don’t like the word “freebies”. Imagine how much money could have been saved if all the wastage was controlled and diverted towards the betterment of our country such as on public hospitals, infrastructure and developing a good education system.
Proper allocation of finance and resources makes a huge difference. Well, we hope come December 14, things will change for a better, brighter Fiji.
KIRTI PATEL
Lautoka
China’s challenge
WE read in the article “China’s
Xi faces public anger: Students chant” oppose dictatorship ‘and’ Freedom! Freedom!’ (AP/ FT 30/11 p.24) that “Barely a month after granting himself new powers as China’s potential leader for life, Xi Jinping is facing a wave of public anger of the kind not seen for decades”.
The public anger is understandable.
Tyranny can only be tolerated up to a point. Remember that point had been reached in China in 1989 when the people demanded freedom, but the Chinese Communist State gave them the Tiananmen Square Massare instead.
But the yearn for freedom lived on notwithstanding State repression and it has once again resurfaced publicly.
And, once again State violent crackdown has started. Will we get another Tiananmen massacre? RAJEND NAIDU
Sydney, Australia
Political campaigns
THE political campaigns are at their peak and aspiring candidates make ear-catching statements. The opposing parties read more than what it intended and thus the debate continues.
Agni Deo Singh is a distinguished classroom teacher who knows how to handle children. He has also served for long as the general secretary of the Fiji Teachers Union and knows the plight of teachers under current educational circumstances.
Different social groups have their own culture which has evolved over a long time. The clash of cultures is inevitable when they operate within an environment. Fiji’s colonial past impinges on its current cultural patterns. Hence the clash of opinions.
In Western culture children can call their elders by their first name but this is repugnant in Pacific cultures.
I believe Western cultures encourage their children to date and have premarital sex relations or to have live-in partners without marriage or to marry persons of the same sex. All these are repugnant to Pacific cultures. High divorce rates and the role of step parents comes into focus ..... unacceptable to Pacific cultures.
Therefore, I believe when zero tolerance on corporal punishment was introduced into our educational system it upset the apple cart.
The fear factor disappeared and children became rebellious. I am of the opinion that corporal punishment should be reintroduced under strictly controlled conditions under the head of the institution. Currently teachers live in fear of losing their jobs.
The rapid change of ministers and the permanent secretaries is another factor which has contributed to the unsettled environment in the Ministry of Education. DEWAN CHAND
Donu Place, Namadi Heights, Suva
Casemiro and Fernandes
I WAS awed by the performance of Casemiro and Fernandes, one for Brazil and the other for Portugal. At the club level, they both manage the Manchester United midfield. Both played their hearts out to ensure their teams went into the past 16 in Qatar.
Casemiro’s sublime strike was enough to ensure Brazil went into knockout stages.
Fernandes, on the other hand, played like a demon possessed for Portugal. He was all over the pitch, hunting for the round ball. He was rewarded when his curler, which was meant for Ronaldo, flew directly into the net.
The continuous pressure paid off when he earned a penalty. The cool, calm and collected Fernandes made no mistake from the spot.
Portugal celebrated with the 2-0 over Uruguay. In the last World Cup, Uruguay stopped Portugal in their tracks in the last 16.
Football is such, sometimes you laugh and sometimes you cry. ARUN PRASAD
Dilkusha, Nausori