"Under the Political Parties Act, political parties can only be funded from the proceeds of membership fees, investments, or donations from individuals who are citizens or former citizens of Fiji. The donations are not to exceed $10,000 per individual per annum. The huge grants of $325,000, in addition to the special annual payment of $5000 per MP, do not fall under any of the lawfully authorised source of funding of political parties, and are thus unlawful. I see it as nothing but a ruse to enable the parties in the Coalition to clear their election debts and amass funds to fight the next elections. It was kept a secret from the people until revealed by the general secretary of the Fiji First Party this week. Not only is it illegal, it smacks of corruption. The taxpayers are being taken for a ride by this self-seeking government. There is a glaring lack of transparency. We are still waiting for the long promised accounts of the Girmit Celebrations and the National Economic Summit. The funneling of State funds to political associates, and now to partner political parties, has become a hallmark of this government."
Labour says $325,000 payment to parliamentary parties unlawful
Fiji Labour Party has written to the Supervisor of Elections to investigate the payment of annual parliamentary grants of $325,000 to each of the four political parties in Parliament in breach of the Political Parties Act.
“The payment is unlawful,” says Leader Mahendra Chaudhry.
"Under the Political Parties Act, political parties can only be funded from the proceeds of membership fees, investments, or donations from individuals who are citizens or former citizens of Fiji. The donations are not to exceed $10,000 per individual per annum.
"The huge grants of $325,000, in addition to the special annual payment of $5000 per MP, do not fall under any of the lawfully authorised source of funding of political parties, and are thus unlawful”.
“I see it as nothing but a ruse to enable the parties in the Coalition to clear their election debts and amass funds to fight the next elections, said Mr Chaudhry.
It was kept a secret from the people until revealed by the general secretary of the Fiji First Party this week.
“Not only is it illegal, it smacks of corruption. The taxpayers are being taken for a ride by this self-seeking government. There is a glaring lack of transparency.
“We are still waiting for the long promised accounts of the Girmit Celebrations and the National Economic Summit.
“The funneling of State funds to political associates, and now to partner political parties, has become a hallmark of this government,” Mr Chaudhry said.
Fiji Labour Party has written to the Supervisor of Elections to investigate the payment of annual parliamentary grants of $325,000 to each of the four political parties in Parliament in breach of the Political Parties Act.
“The payment is unlawful,” says Leader Mahendra Chaudhry.
"Under the Political Parties Act, political parties can only be funded from the proceeds of membership fees, investments, or donations from individuals who are citizens or former citizens of Fiji. The donations are not to exceed $10,000 per individual per annum.
"The huge grants of $325,000, in addition to the special annual payment of $5000 per MP, do not fall under any of the lawfully authorised source of funding of political parties, and are thus unlawful”.
“I see it as nothing but a ruse to enable the parties in the Coalition to clear their election debts and amass funds to fight the next elections, said Mr Chaudhry.
It was kept a secret from the people until revealed by the general secretary of the Fiji First Party this week.
“Not only is it illegal, it smacks of corruption. The taxpayers are being taken for a ride by this self-seeking government. There is a glaring lack of transparency.
“We are still waiting for the long promised accounts of the Girmit Celebrations and the National Economic Summit.
“The funneling of State funds to political associates, and now to partner political parties, has become a hallmark of this government,” Mr Chaudhry said.
The filthy and run down Global Girmit Institute - Worse than PIG STY.
We repeat: Biman Prasad, wife and Ganesh Chand must be arrested and questioned over the $200,000 Girmit Fund Scam. In the annals of girmit we don't find our girmitiyas as BAIMAANS. Shame on the TRIO.
  |  The New Zealand Ranjit Singh inspecting the Global Girmit Centre |
CRY BELOVED GIRMITIYAS – THE NEGLECTED AND RUN-DOWN FIJI GIRMIT CENTER -A SHAME TO THE MEMORIES OF THE GIRMITIYAS
I had written previously in Facebook as well as in The Fiji Times about the neglect of this monument, and lack of efforts by government or Girmityas descendants to add value to this 12.5 Prime land very strategically located on the road to Nadi Airport from Lautoka. This land was donated by Fiji Government in 1979 and the centre was opened by the then Indian PM, Indira Gandhi some 45 years ago.
And this place still needs some dignity and attention by Fiji Indian descendants of Girmit.
And this place still needs some dignity and attention by Fiji Indian descendants of Girmit.
But it seems I am whipping up a dead horse. You just saw the indignity of Professor Brij Lal and Dr Padma Lal Library in a derelict shopping centre up the road in Saweni. Why cannot this Girmit Global Institute work with Fiji Girmit Council, and work jointly in memory of the Girmitiyas? How long will it be directly or indirectly fuelled by government funding to open up a rival body.
I visited the Girmit Centre on 31 August, 2023, and am delighted with its potential, but shocked with its neglect. What a shame and pity that this grand monument in memory of the Girmitiyas has been lying unutilised to full potential for some four decades. Shame on us. For how long will I remain the lone voice to cry for this centre.
The place is now partly run down, the land allocated to people to plant cassava, and is a shame to the memories of my forebears.
I just hope the Ministry of Multi-Ethnic Affairs will take some interest to whip this dead horse to life.
CRY BELOVED GIRMITIYAS – your hope now is in three hands: Minister Charan Jeath Singh, and Permanent Secretaries Yogesh Karan and Parmesh Chand.
Hope this is read by some millionaire Fiji Girmitiya descendant in the Fiji Indian Diaspora, who may have some dignity, honour and respect for Girmitiyas that surpass Fiji’s interest in this place.
I visited the Girmit Centre on 31 August, 2023, and am delighted with its potential, but shocked with its neglect. What a shame and pity that this grand monument in memory of the Girmitiyas has been lying unutilised to full potential for some four decades. Shame on us. For how long will I remain the lone voice to cry for this centre.
The place is now partly run down, the land allocated to people to plant cassava, and is a shame to the memories of my forebears.
I just hope the Ministry of Multi-Ethnic Affairs will take some interest to whip this dead horse to life.
CRY BELOVED GIRMITIYAS – your hope now is in three hands: Minister Charan Jeath Singh, and Permanent Secretaries Yogesh Karan and Parmesh Chand.
Hope this is read by some millionaire Fiji Girmitiya descendant in the Fiji Indian Diaspora, who may have some dignity, honour and respect for Girmitiyas that surpass Fiji’s interest in this place.
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In my primary school Hindi ki teesri pothi (third year book), I read a poem, which said:
Parvat par jo charna chaho, pahle charho Pahari. Translated it means, IF YOU WISH TO CLIMB A MOUNTAIN, FIRST, ATTEMPT TO OVERCOME A HILL.
That is the story with this dubious organisation, GLOBAL GIRMIT INSTITUTE. What have they done locally, on the ground, within Fiji before becoming GLOBAL?
Have they held any Girmit functions locally, apart from a questionable International Girmit Conference, using taxpayer money, given by well-connected politicians, and flushed down the toilet. What is the outcome of that conference? Any links, communique or benefits worth some $250,000? What will the new generation learn or benefit from this publicly-funded price tag? Doesn’t Fiji have an accountability system?
AND DUBIOUS AND SHAMEFUL PROFESSOR BRIJ LAL AND DR PADMA LAL LIBRARY IN A DILAPIDATED, RUNDOWN AND NEGLECTED CORNER OF RURAL SAWENI
Well, come down to Saweni Shopping Centre on the way to Nadi Airport from Lautoka, up the Saweni hill, near a service station, with potholes that can hide an anaconda. At the end of this dirty, messy, unkept area, you have a wooden shack, with a signboard, Global Girmit Institute. At the entrance is a dairy-type shop, maybe for nightly sales. This is supposed to house PROFESSOR BRIJ LAL AND DR PADMA LAL LIBRARY, that reportedly the then leader of PAP, and now PM, Sitiveni Rabuka opened or inaugurated sometime in 2018.
Well there are no signs indicating it is any library, named after anyone-as there are no signs to, or sign of any respectable library.
I hazarded to venture in this shack, “jhopar patt”i-type of structure, negotiating up a risky stairs, overgrown with grass, scattered with rubbish and an area which delivers no respect to any library, especially the one named after the distinguished Professor. Some statues of elephants outside seem to be struggling to run away from this shameful environment.
And just some ten minutes’ drive to Lautoka, near Lautoka City is government-donated 12.5 acres of land known as FIJI GIRMIT CENTRE, which could have housed such a library with dignity. But who can beat individual egos?
I ventured there with my wife, Shashi Shankar Singh, who fell and hurt her knees which was bleeding, in negotiating up the dirty, hazardous and unkept driveway, on her way out. I have a word of caution for Dr Padma Lal if she gathers courage to visit this derelict supposedly named after her husband and her. Fortunately, there are no signs saying this, hence, it saves their dignity.
I visited the library on Thursday 31 August, 2023, and enquired about the following books, which any library worth the name of Professor Brij Lal needs to house:
Professor Brij Lal's: CHALO JAHAJI, IN THE EYE OF THE STORM (Autobiography of Jai Ram Reddy), and TULSI'S STORE, among others.
Rajendra Prasad's TEARS IN PARADISE and ENSLAVED IN PARADISE
Totaram Sanadhya’ s MY 21 YEARS IN FIJI - FIJI MEIN MERE IKKIS SAAL
.
Reportedly, NONE OF THESE BOOKS ARE IN THIS LIBRARY, and there appears to be no catalogue.
Then, one may question, what the hell does Professor Brij Lal and Dr Padma Lal Library hold?
I will stop talking, and let the photos I took speak, and hope the Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs can speak something about this and the neglected Fiji Girmit Center, where the books could be housed with dignity, and we can have one central Girmit Library and memory to Girmitiyas instead of this shameful, breakaway division, promoted by Government Assistance directly or indirectly.
One day PM Rabuka may have to explain this.
Parvat par jo charna chaho, pahle charho Pahari. Translated it means, IF YOU WISH TO CLIMB A MOUNTAIN, FIRST, ATTEMPT TO OVERCOME A HILL.
That is the story with this dubious organisation, GLOBAL GIRMIT INSTITUTE. What have they done locally, on the ground, within Fiji before becoming GLOBAL?
Have they held any Girmit functions locally, apart from a questionable International Girmit Conference, using taxpayer money, given by well-connected politicians, and flushed down the toilet. What is the outcome of that conference? Any links, communique or benefits worth some $250,000? What will the new generation learn or benefit from this publicly-funded price tag? Doesn’t Fiji have an accountability system?
AND DUBIOUS AND SHAMEFUL PROFESSOR BRIJ LAL AND DR PADMA LAL LIBRARY IN A DILAPIDATED, RUNDOWN AND NEGLECTED CORNER OF RURAL SAWENI
Well, come down to Saweni Shopping Centre on the way to Nadi Airport from Lautoka, up the Saweni hill, near a service station, with potholes that can hide an anaconda. At the end of this dirty, messy, unkept area, you have a wooden shack, with a signboard, Global Girmit Institute. At the entrance is a dairy-type shop, maybe for nightly sales. This is supposed to house PROFESSOR BRIJ LAL AND DR PADMA LAL LIBRARY, that reportedly the then leader of PAP, and now PM, Sitiveni Rabuka opened or inaugurated sometime in 2018.
Well there are no signs indicating it is any library, named after anyone-as there are no signs to, or sign of any respectable library.
I hazarded to venture in this shack, “jhopar patt”i-type of structure, negotiating up a risky stairs, overgrown with grass, scattered with rubbish and an area which delivers no respect to any library, especially the one named after the distinguished Professor. Some statues of elephants outside seem to be struggling to run away from this shameful environment.
And just some ten minutes’ drive to Lautoka, near Lautoka City is government-donated 12.5 acres of land known as FIJI GIRMIT CENTRE, which could have housed such a library with dignity. But who can beat individual egos?
I ventured there with my wife, Shashi Shankar Singh, who fell and hurt her knees which was bleeding, in negotiating up the dirty, hazardous and unkept driveway, on her way out. I have a word of caution for Dr Padma Lal if she gathers courage to visit this derelict supposedly named after her husband and her. Fortunately, there are no signs saying this, hence, it saves their dignity.
I visited the library on Thursday 31 August, 2023, and enquired about the following books, which any library worth the name of Professor Brij Lal needs to house:
Professor Brij Lal's: CHALO JAHAJI, IN THE EYE OF THE STORM (Autobiography of Jai Ram Reddy), and TULSI'S STORE, among others.
Rajendra Prasad's TEARS IN PARADISE and ENSLAVED IN PARADISE
Totaram Sanadhya’ s MY 21 YEARS IN FIJI - FIJI MEIN MERE IKKIS SAAL
.
Reportedly, NONE OF THESE BOOKS ARE IN THIS LIBRARY, and there appears to be no catalogue.
Then, one may question, what the hell does Professor Brij Lal and Dr Padma Lal Library hold?
I will stop talking, and let the photos I took speak, and hope the Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs can speak something about this and the neglected Fiji Girmit Center, where the books could be housed with dignity, and we can have one central Girmit Library and memory to Girmitiyas instead of this shameful, breakaway division, promoted by Government Assistance directly or indirectly.
One day PM Rabuka may have to explain this.
