"Indians have endured two racist coups despite which they have remained committed to Fiji." - FLP leader Mahendra Chaudhry
Fijileaks: Our Founding Editor-in-Chief has condemned FLP leader in the past for constantly referring to Indo-Fijians as 'Indians'.
*Our ancestors were Indians, NOT us. Many of us (our Editor included) still cannot trace our Indian indentured labourers in those 'coolie ship registers', for the elders passed away long before anyone thought of asking them. Our leaders never encouraged us to build our own ancestry trees. The much lauded Vola Ni Kawa Bula was designed by the colonial British masters to end land wars, and to whip and deport stray i-Taukei back to their respective villages. It was a register to control them.
*The Indian indentured labourers did not come as 'Vulagis' - guest or visitors. They were brought on slave ships to work as bonded labourers on the sugar, tea and copra plantations.
*As we have reminded Rabuka and his legion of racists, the introduction of Indian indentured labourers prevented the dispossession of the different tribal i-taukei from the lands they were occupying after bloody tribal wars.
* As for Chaudhry, when will he wake up and recognise the 'Devil with Forked Tongue'. In 1992, he gave his votes to Rabuka for the Coupist to become Prime Minister. Later, he cried wolf when Rabuka refused to honour a set of conditions that Chaudhry had demanded as part of making Rabuka Prime Minister.
*Sadly, it was the political rivalry between Mahendra Chaudhry and Jai Ram Reddy that saw Indo-Fijians remain in bondage, with Rabuka exploiting the division. In 1994, Reddy gave NFP's votes to Rabuka for the coupist to become Prime Minister for the second time.
*In 2022, Biman Prasad gave his votes for Rabuka to become Prime Minister for the third time.
*At least, Chaudhry has got off Rabuka's 'Ferris Wheel' while Biman Prasad is still clinging onto its wobbly wheels - not a word of protest from PRASAD against Rabuka and Vulagis.
*As we pointed out, Vulagi is a term that has been understood by all races in Fiji as a guest or a visitor.
The Indo-Fijians were NEVER a Vulagi - even on 14 May 1879.
*Whenever we saw someone we didn't recognise in our neighbourhood, we used to say, 'Aare, dekkho, koi vulagi chakkar kate hai'. (Look, some vulagi is loitering around).
The poor soul, as it often turned out, was merely looking for a particular house or a friend in the neighbourhood.
 Prime Minister Rabuka should understand that the Indians did not come here as Vulagis, says Mahendra Chaudhry. |  |
He was responding to the PM’s remark in his address to mark the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People in Suva last week when he referred to Fiji Indians as vulagis.
Mr Chaudhry said the Indians were bought here by the British which ruled over Fiji and India at the time (1879). Indians came as British subjects and, upon serving their Indenture, were free to return to India or settle in Fiji with full citizenship rights.
They have lived here for over 140 years in the course of which their contribution to Fiji’s development remains unmatched.
Indians have endured two racist coups despite which they have remained committed to Fiji. Yes, many have left but that is natural for those seeking a peaceful, progressive and secure life.
“I for one am a victim of both the coups, and was removed at gunpoint as Prime Minister of a government elected with the biggest mandate in Fiji’s political history.
"I am still here speaking out not for the Indians alone but the nation as a whole.
"National unity was a rallying cry of Rabuka’s Alliance Party during the last elections. It’s a contradiction now for him to alienate the ethnic Indians by calling them vulagis.
"Isn’t it time, Mr Rabuka, for yet another apology from you?”
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