A worthy leader
AS we move into a new dawn of politics, it is refreshing to see a good start from the incoming coalition government as Dr Padma Lal’s official ban from entering Fiji has been lifted. She can finally bring back the ashes of her late husband from Australia and take them to his birthplace in Tabia, which is neighbouring onto Labasa Town.
Why were Padma Lal and her late husband Dr Brij Lal banned from returning to their home country is still a mystery to me, maybe the former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama can shed some light on this and what serious crime, if any, they committed to be banned from their place of birth.
So many questions and very few answers, which will need to be answered over the course of time as to why and what circumstances led to them being refused entry into their beloved Fiji.
Another act of compassion was the lifting of the ban on Prof Pal Ahluwalia, the vice-chancellor of the University of the South Pacific, who was manhandled and bundled out of Fiji in the middle of the night along with his wife. Once again why were they treated so inhumanly and what was their crime if any to be treated in this manner.
There are many questions and very few answers for the former prime minister to reveal as the nation awaits the full disclosure of these acts. What was the reason for such harsh treatment towards these individuals? Why were they taken like hostages in the middle of the night? What crime was committed to prevent even the sacred ashes of Dr Brij Lal to be bought back to his birthplace? In my eyes this is one of the cruelest acts of a government when even loved ones are banned from bringing sacred ashes to the birthplace of an individual.
This is a very sad and cruel part of our history which is a national disgrace and those in power at the time, who supported these ghastly acts, should bow their heads in shame.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has been quoted as saying “I am ready to meet Dr Lal and Prof Ahluwalia personally and I will apologise on behalf of the people of Fiji for the way they were treated”.
In response to this, both Dr Padma Lal and Prof Ahluwalia have expressed their thankfulness to the Prime Minister for acting upon this gross miscarriage of justice as they prepare to make arrangements for their return to Fiji.
Many bans are now being lifted and residents who feared returning to Fiji, can now come back with peace of mind and also return without fear or prejudice. It is a great feeling for both them and their friends, family and loved ones.
Fiji as a nation has a lot of reconciliation to be done and also healing as many people who have been affected by acts that have caused them grief and fear of the state. This fear will slowly be replaced with love and also an acceptance that we can still be friends even if we disagree on certain matters.
We must, however, never go back to a time when fear and intimidation were the tools of power. We must move forward where everyone can feel free and part of the nation-building process which will be taking place over time.
I am a great believer in love, compassion and forgiveness, but we must let the process take its course. If people have done wrong over time, it will come out in facts and many social media posts and insinuations that appear on various media platforms. It will be hard facts and evidence that will be the judge of whoever is deemed to have wronged the people and the nation.
That is democracy in action, and we must respect the process as there is so much work to be done by government and I am sure all involved are aware of the mammoth task ahead. There will have to be much scrutiny done in regards to the huge government debt. Some say it could be as much as $10 billion and rising.
Wherever I go, I sense a feeling of relief as though a huge weight has been lifted off the nation, but it will take time to find out about the real state of the nation and also apply the brakes and try and reverse the huge issues we have with our infrastructure, health system, school system, water cuts, electricity cuts, debt levels and the list goes on.
Finally, congratulations to our new Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and what a great start, by showing compassion and not cruelty, plus leading the nation slowly but surely towards a peaceful and prosperous future that is inclusive of all Fijians and not just a privileged few.
■ AJAY BHAI AMRIT is a founding member of The People’s Alliance party and is also a freelance writer. The views expressed in this article are his and do not necessarily reflect the views of this
newspaper.
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