In a bid to deflect the accusations levelled against him by Mrs Taniguchi, Prasad is now prominently promoting the HINDI language charade
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Fijileaks: RACIST FIREBRAND and Co-founder of the 1987 violent I-Taukei Movement, the late APISAI TORA, had abused the parliamentary privilege to speak in the i-Taukei language in Parliament by calling Indo-Fijians 'Bloody Kaisi Bokola Botobotos', prompting the then NFP leader the late Jai Ram Reddy to demand that the Speaker evict Tora from Parliament.
*The Speaker declined, saying such language had been used in the august house in the past. Tora had unleashed his racist remark when Reddy was protesting about the Alliance Party government's pro-itaukei (then referred to as Fijians) policies.
*Reddy had alleged that in 'all aspects of government work and activities, from its composition, its development work and appointments to Boards, promotion in the Civil Service, its Crown land policy, everywhere, the Alliance government was practising discrimination'. In other words, the Alliance Party had a Sunset Clause against the Indo-Fijians.
*The motive, claimed Reddy, was purely racial, and he charged that Fiji was implementing a policy designed to ensure that all strategic levels of government were staffed by 'loyal personnel', which in effect meant that i-Taukei (Fijians) were placed in positions of command in order to deliberately create an 'out group', namely the Indians (Indo-Fijians). Reddy also cited figures to demonstrate that many candidates of Indo-Fijian extraction were better qualified and that the percentage of Indo-Fijian passes in internal examinations conducted by the Fiji Public Service Commission (FPSC) were significantly higher than those of their Fijian (i-taukei) counterparts.
*The Alliance Party fell back on that insidious argument, that since i-taukei were so 'backward', affirmative action was required to level the playing field, even if it meant lowering marks for i-Taukei students to enter the USP.
*Reddy also condemned the racial disparity in the composition of Fiji's armed forces - the key instrument of power and an essential feature of any multi-party system, particularly in an ethnically divided society. The RFMF were, and still are, the exclusive preserve of the i-Taukei, and a reservoir for support that was exploited by Sitiveni Rabuka in 1987, George Speight in 2000, and Frank Bainimarama in 2006
Fijileaks: We are watching with increasing alarm (and a defeafening silence from NFP leader BIMAN PRASAD) of the recent appointments by the Rabuka Coalition government of i-Taukeis in key government positions. We are returning to the dark old days of the 'Fijianization' of Fiji, backed by the rejuvenated Methodist Church of Fiji.
There is nothing to cheer about NFP's boast that the Rabuka government to 'recognize Hindi and i-Taukei language. We have fought against the imposition of HINDI over Fiji Hindi, a plantation Hindi that attests to our girmit history in Fiji, starting in 1879.
From The Guardian, London, December 2022
*According to Ganesh Narayan Devy, one of India’s most renowned linguists who dedicated his life to recording India’s over 700 languages and thousands of dialects, the recent attempts to impose Hindi were both “laughable and dangerous”. “It’s not one language but the multiplicity of languages that has united India throughout history. India cannot be India unless it accommodates all native languages,” said Devy.
*Devy said being multilingual was at the heart of being Indian. “You will find people use Sanskrit for their prayers, Hindi for films and affairs of the heart, their mother tongue for their families and private thoughts, and English for their careers,” he said.
“It’s hard to find a monolingual Indian. That should be celebrated, not threatened.”
*Devy said being multilingual was at the heart of being Indian. “You will find people use Sanskrit for their prayers, Hindi for films and affairs of the heart, their mother tongue for their families and private thoughts, and English for their careers,” he said.
“It’s hard to find a monolingual Indian. That should be celebrated, not threatened.”
Tensions are rising in India over prime minister Narendra Modi’s push to make Hindi the country’s dominant language. Modi’s Bharatiya Janaya party (BJP) government has been accused of an agenda of “Hindi imposition” and “Hindi imperialism” and non-Hindi speaking states in south and east India have been fighting back. One morning in November, MV Thangavel, an 85-year-old farmer from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, stood outside a local political party office and held a banner aloft, addressing Modi. “Modi government, central government, we don’t want Hindi … get rid of Hindi,” it read. Then he doused himself in paraffin and set himself alight. Thangavel did not survive.
“They want to transform India from a union of diverse states to one a nation state, where people who speak Hindi are treated as first-class citizens while we non-Hindi people, including Bengalis, are second-class citizens.”
“We Bengalis are being talked down to in Hindi but now we are pushing back. Our language is who we are and we will die for it.”
“They want to transform India from a union of diverse states to one a nation state, where people who speak Hindi are treated as first-class citizens while we non-Hindi people, including Bengalis, are second-class citizens.”
“We Bengalis are being talked down to in Hindi but now we are pushing back. Our language is who we are and we will die for it.”
BIMAN PRASAD CAN GO TO HELL WITH INDIAN HINDI and the NFP supporters screaming to close down Radio Mirch, claiming Fiji Hindi is 'Jungli Hindi'.
He has already sold Indo-Fijian rights to Rabuka and the Methodists.
He is trying to deflect the accusations levelled against him by Mrs Taniguchi, by now prominently pushing for the HINDI language
What is Fiji-Hindi - Fiji Baat (extracted from Wikipedia)
Fiji Hindi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by Indo-Fijians. It is an Eastern Hindi language, considered to be a dialect of Awadhi that has also been subject to considerable influence by Bhojpuri, other Bihari dialects, and Hindustani. It has also borrowed some words from the English and Fijian languages. Many words unique to Fiji Hindi have been created to cater for the new environment that Indo-Fijians now live in. First-generation Indians in Fiji, who used the language as a lingua franca in Fiji, referred to it as Fiji Baat, "Fiji talk". It is closely related to Caribbean Hindustani and the Bhojpuri-Hindustani language spoken in Mauritius and South Africa. It is largely mutually intellegible with the languages of Awadhi, Bhojpuri, etc. of Bihar and the dialects of Hindi of eastern Uttar Pradesh, but differs in phonetics and vocabulary with Modern Standard Hindi.
Indian indentured labourers mainly spoke dialects from the Hindi Belt. Initially, the majority of labourers came to Fiji from districts of central and eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, while a small percentage hailed from North-West Frontier and South India such as Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Over time, a distinct Indo-Aryan language with an Eastern Hindi substratum developed in Fiji, combining elements of the Hindi languages spoken in these areas with some native Fijian and English. The development of Fiji Hindi was accelerated by the need for labourers speaking different languages to work together and by the practice of leaving young children in early versions of day-care centers during working hours. Percy Wright, who lived in Fiji during the indenture period, wrote:
Indian children born in Fiji will have a mixed language; there are many different dialects amongst the Indian population, and of course much intercourse with the Fijians. The children pick up a little of each language, and do not know which is the one originally spoken by their parents.
Other writers, including Burton (1914) and Lenwood (1917), made similar observations. By the late 1920s all Fiji Indian children born in Fiji learned Fiji Hindi, which became the common language in Fiji of North and South Indians alike.
Later, approximately 15,000 Indian indentured labourers, who were mainly speakers of Dravidian languages (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam), were brought from South India. By this time Fiji Hindi was well established as the lingua franca of Indo-Fijians and the Southern Indian labourers had to learn it to communicate with the more numerous Northern Indians and their European overseers. After the end of the indenture system, Indians who spoke Gujarati and Punjabi arrived in Fiji as free immigrants. A few Indo-Fijians speak Tamil, Telugu, and Gujarati at home, but all are fluently conversant and able to communicate using Fiji Hindi.
The census reports of 1956 and 1966 shows the extent to which Fiji Hindi (referred to as 'Hindustani' in the census) was being spoken in Indo-Fijian households. Hindu schools teach the Devanagari script while the Muslim schools teach the Nastaliq script.
Fiji Hindi is also understood and even spoken by Indigenous Fijians in areas of Fiji where there are large Indo-Fijian communities. A pidgin form of the language is used by rural ethnic Fijians, as well as Chinese on the islands, while Pidgin Fijian is spoken by Indo-Fijians.
Following the recent political upheaval in Fiji, many Indo-Fijians have emigrated to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States, where they have largely maintained their traditional Indo-Fijian culture, language, and religion.
Some writers have begun to use Fiji Hindi, until very recently a spoken language only, as a literary language. The Bible has now been translated into Fiji Hindi, and the University of the South Pacific has recently begun offering courses in the language. It is usually written in the Latin script though Devanāgarī has also been used.
A Fiji Hindi movie has also been produced depicting Indo-Fijian life and is based on a play by local playwright, Raymond Pillai.
Fijian loan words
Indo-Fijians now use native Fijian words for those things that were not found in their ancestral India but which existed in Fiji. These include most fish names and root crops. For example, kanade for mullet (fish) and kumaala for sweet potato or yam.
Indian indentured labourers mainly spoke dialects from the Hindi Belt. Initially, the majority of labourers came to Fiji from districts of central and eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, while a small percentage hailed from North-West Frontier and South India such as Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Over time, a distinct Indo-Aryan language with an Eastern Hindi substratum developed in Fiji, combining elements of the Hindi languages spoken in these areas with some native Fijian and English. The development of Fiji Hindi was accelerated by the need for labourers speaking different languages to work together and by the practice of leaving young children in early versions of day-care centers during working hours. Percy Wright, who lived in Fiji during the indenture period, wrote:
Indian children born in Fiji will have a mixed language; there are many different dialects amongst the Indian population, and of course much intercourse with the Fijians. The children pick up a little of each language, and do not know which is the one originally spoken by their parents.
Other writers, including Burton (1914) and Lenwood (1917), made similar observations. By the late 1920s all Fiji Indian children born in Fiji learned Fiji Hindi, which became the common language in Fiji of North and South Indians alike.
Later, approximately 15,000 Indian indentured labourers, who were mainly speakers of Dravidian languages (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam), were brought from South India. By this time Fiji Hindi was well established as the lingua franca of Indo-Fijians and the Southern Indian labourers had to learn it to communicate with the more numerous Northern Indians and their European overseers. After the end of the indenture system, Indians who spoke Gujarati and Punjabi arrived in Fiji as free immigrants. A few Indo-Fijians speak Tamil, Telugu, and Gujarati at home, but all are fluently conversant and able to communicate using Fiji Hindi.
The census reports of 1956 and 1966 shows the extent to which Fiji Hindi (referred to as 'Hindustani' in the census) was being spoken in Indo-Fijian households. Hindu schools teach the Devanagari script while the Muslim schools teach the Nastaliq script.
Fiji Hindi is also understood and even spoken by Indigenous Fijians in areas of Fiji where there are large Indo-Fijian communities. A pidgin form of the language is used by rural ethnic Fijians, as well as Chinese on the islands, while Pidgin Fijian is spoken by Indo-Fijians.
Following the recent political upheaval in Fiji, many Indo-Fijians have emigrated to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States, where they have largely maintained their traditional Indo-Fijian culture, language, and religion.
Some writers have begun to use Fiji Hindi, until very recently a spoken language only, as a literary language. The Bible has now been translated into Fiji Hindi, and the University of the South Pacific has recently begun offering courses in the language. It is usually written in the Latin script though Devanāgarī has also been used.
A Fiji Hindi movie has also been produced depicting Indo-Fijian life and is based on a play by local playwright, Raymond Pillai.
Fijian loan words
Indo-Fijians now use native Fijian words for those things that were not found in their ancestral India but which existed in Fiji. These include most fish names and root crops. For example, kanade for mullet (fish) and kumaala for sweet potato or yam.
Words derived from English
Many English words have also been borrowed into Fiji Hindi with sound changes to fit the Indo-Fijian pronunciation. For example, hutel in Fiji Hindi is borrowed from hotel in English. Some words borrowed from English have a specialised meaning, for example, garaund in Fiji Hindi means a playing field, geng in Fiji Hindi means a "work gang", particularly a cane-cutting gang in the sugar cane growing districts and tichaa in Fiji Hindi specifically means a female teacher. There are also unique Fijian Hindi words created from English words, for example, kantaap taken from cane-top means slap or associated with beating.
Many English words have also been borrowed into Fiji Hindi with sound changes to fit the Indo-Fijian pronunciation. For example, hutel in Fiji Hindi is borrowed from hotel in English. Some words borrowed from English have a specialised meaning, for example, garaund in Fiji Hindi means a playing field, geng in Fiji Hindi means a "work gang", particularly a cane-cutting gang in the sugar cane growing districts and tichaa in Fiji Hindi specifically means a female teacher. There are also unique Fijian Hindi words created from English words, for example, kantaap taken from cane-top means slap or associated with beating.
Linguist Gounder says that Fiji-Hindi is a Pacific language as it was born on the plantations of Fiji and is spoken by a community of people who have lived for generations on the island.
Narratives around the Girmit language or Fiji-Hindi as a broken language are erroneous and endanger growth progression.
Linguist Dr Farzana Gounder, a direct Girmit descendant and a representative of Fiji on the UNESCO International Indentured Labour Route Project, said Fiji-Hindi is often seen as an inferior language to the Hindi and Urdu languages spoken in India and Pakistan.
Gounder said this attitude towards the Fiji-Hindi language amongst the community and those outside it are causing psychological impacts on the younger generation.
"I ran a UNESCO-funded workshop in Auckland around Fiji-Hindi and we had workshop participants talking about how they were bullied and mocked in school for the language they speak. These were young people who were very passionate about their language. These are issues that need to be addressed."
She cautions if Fiji-Hindi is to survive in the future, narratives need to change, public awareness needs to be fostered, and the uniqueness of the language ought to be celebrated.
The development of Fiji-Hindi as a language
"In order to address the complexities surrounding the Fiji-Hindi language, understanding its history is vital," Gounder said.
Fiji-Hindi language developed during the peak of the British Indentured labour system, where Indians were recruited as labourers to work on the sugarcane and cotton plantations in Fiji.
"Fiji-Hindi was established during this period based on Hindi and Urdu. However, it also incorporated languages from the South of India, which included Tamil and Telegu, becoming a common means of communication among the labourers. This language was passed down, and today, it is the first language for people of Fiji-Indian descent, incorporating words from both iTaukei and English and is a common language spoken by the people of Fiji," Gounder said.
Gounder adds that Fiji-Hindi is a Pacific language as it was born on the plantations of Fiji and is spoken by a community of people who have lived for generations on the island.
Endangerment and Sustainability
For a relatively young language developed over a hundred years ago, questions of its survival are already in discussion, especially here in Aotearoa.
"There is a danger for the children growing up in New Zealand that Fiji-Hindi will increasingly not be their first language for several reasons, and their first language will likely become English as it is commonly spoken and taught. This means that the language is in danger of not being passed down to the next generation, and I think the language is at risk of extinction."
Gounder adds the perception of the Fiji-Hindi language plays a crucial role in its future survival and sustainability efforts.
Those advocating the retention of formal or standard Hindi in Fiji's education system resurfaced in recent years, sparked by the state broadcaster's decision to allow announcers on Hindi station Mirchi FM to speak Fiji Hindi. It prompted calls from an Indo-Fijian organisation that the youth should speak formal Hindi and that the radio station was a bad influence. Also raised were calls for a change to the constitution, which demands Fiji Hindi be taught in schools, a requirement never enforced.
Gounder, however, believes as a linguist, the community needs to be engaged with the public and realistic about what will keep the language alive, as opposed to having a purist view.
"What matters is that the next generation speaks it. What will it take to maintain this connection between language, people, and their identity? As that will help keep the language going. All efforts in this space are much appreciated whether they come from the purist or those who want an extremely colloquial version of Fiji-Hindi as it continues to create a conversation that helps keep our language alive."
First Fiji-Hindi script in the world
Work on an initiative to formalise the Fiji-Hindi language script has begun through the support of UNESCO. The Universal Roman Orthography for Indentured Hindustani Languages aims to create a Fiji-Hindi script that will allow information to be conveyed to the community in their language (Fiji-Hindi).
Gounder said linguists from around the world who study other indentured languages have come together to develop a standardise Roman script. Our languages maybe not be the same, but they are quite similar."
"The idea is that we can all write in our languages - just as we write in English using that same script. Therefore, increase our reach around the world. So, our audience or the people who can read what we have written will dramatically increase, and this will hopefully help raise the profile of Fiji-Hindi and increase interest amongst its speakers."
Fiji Hindi is a spoken language yet to be formalised in a written script, and Gounder said when it has, then it can be taught in schools in Fiji with its distinct flavour as one of the main written languages.
"I think it is an easy script because it is written in the same form as English, and this is something that we could pursue in Fiji. Suriname is another Indentured country that has used the Roman script to form a written version of its language. It has been used in their school curriculum since the 1970s. So, we are hopeful that the community will be receptive to this idea, and hopefully, it will feed back into the school system," Gounder said.
Meanwhile, this week marks the commemoration of the Fijian Language week here in Aotearoa, with the Fijian community getting together to celebrate their language, traditions and culture.
The Macawa ni Vosa Vakaviti - Fijian Language Week focuses on nurturing, preserving and sustaining the languages of Fiji.
Linguist Dr Farzana Gounder, a direct Girmit descendant and a representative of Fiji on the UNESCO International Indentured Labour Route Project, said Fiji-Hindi is often seen as an inferior language to the Hindi and Urdu languages spoken in India and Pakistan.
Gounder said this attitude towards the Fiji-Hindi language amongst the community and those outside it are causing psychological impacts on the younger generation.
"I ran a UNESCO-funded workshop in Auckland around Fiji-Hindi and we had workshop participants talking about how they were bullied and mocked in school for the language they speak. These were young people who were very passionate about their language. These are issues that need to be addressed."
She cautions if Fiji-Hindi is to survive in the future, narratives need to change, public awareness needs to be fostered, and the uniqueness of the language ought to be celebrated.
The development of Fiji-Hindi as a language
"In order to address the complexities surrounding the Fiji-Hindi language, understanding its history is vital," Gounder said.
Fiji-Hindi language developed during the peak of the British Indentured labour system, where Indians were recruited as labourers to work on the sugarcane and cotton plantations in Fiji.
"Fiji-Hindi was established during this period based on Hindi and Urdu. However, it also incorporated languages from the South of India, which included Tamil and Telegu, becoming a common means of communication among the labourers. This language was passed down, and today, it is the first language for people of Fiji-Indian descent, incorporating words from both iTaukei and English and is a common language spoken by the people of Fiji," Gounder said.
Gounder adds that Fiji-Hindi is a Pacific language as it was born on the plantations of Fiji and is spoken by a community of people who have lived for generations on the island.
Endangerment and Sustainability
For a relatively young language developed over a hundred years ago, questions of its survival are already in discussion, especially here in Aotearoa.
"There is a danger for the children growing up in New Zealand that Fiji-Hindi will increasingly not be their first language for several reasons, and their first language will likely become English as it is commonly spoken and taught. This means that the language is in danger of not being passed down to the next generation, and I think the language is at risk of extinction."
Gounder adds the perception of the Fiji-Hindi language plays a crucial role in its future survival and sustainability efforts.
Those advocating the retention of formal or standard Hindi in Fiji's education system resurfaced in recent years, sparked by the state broadcaster's decision to allow announcers on Hindi station Mirchi FM to speak Fiji Hindi. It prompted calls from an Indo-Fijian organisation that the youth should speak formal Hindi and that the radio station was a bad influence. Also raised were calls for a change to the constitution, which demands Fiji Hindi be taught in schools, a requirement never enforced.
Gounder, however, believes as a linguist, the community needs to be engaged with the public and realistic about what will keep the language alive, as opposed to having a purist view.
"What matters is that the next generation speaks it. What will it take to maintain this connection between language, people, and their identity? As that will help keep the language going. All efforts in this space are much appreciated whether they come from the purist or those who want an extremely colloquial version of Fiji-Hindi as it continues to create a conversation that helps keep our language alive."
First Fiji-Hindi script in the world
Work on an initiative to formalise the Fiji-Hindi language script has begun through the support of UNESCO. The Universal Roman Orthography for Indentured Hindustani Languages aims to create a Fiji-Hindi script that will allow information to be conveyed to the community in their language (Fiji-Hindi).
Gounder said linguists from around the world who study other indentured languages have come together to develop a standardise Roman script. Our languages maybe not be the same, but they are quite similar."
"The idea is that we can all write in our languages - just as we write in English using that same script. Therefore, increase our reach around the world. So, our audience or the people who can read what we have written will dramatically increase, and this will hopefully help raise the profile of Fiji-Hindi and increase interest amongst its speakers."
Fiji Hindi is a spoken language yet to be formalised in a written script, and Gounder said when it has, then it can be taught in schools in Fiji with its distinct flavour as one of the main written languages.
"I think it is an easy script because it is written in the same form as English, and this is something that we could pursue in Fiji. Suriname is another Indentured country that has used the Roman script to form a written version of its language. It has been used in their school curriculum since the 1970s. So, we are hopeful that the community will be receptive to this idea, and hopefully, it will feed back into the school system," Gounder said.
Meanwhile, this week marks the commemoration of the Fijian Language week here in Aotearoa, with the Fijian community getting together to celebrate their language, traditions and culture.
The Macawa ni Vosa Vakaviti - Fijian Language Week focuses on nurturing, preserving and sustaining the languages of Fiji.
