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Professor Narsey's Bulletin Six: "There is no need for affirmative action for the bottom 90% of the populations where Fijians and Indo-Fijians are pretty similar in terms of household income and expenditure."

20/3/2014

7 Comments

 

But in Education and Business sector there should be
Affirmative Action for indigenous Fijians


One politician who tried to become the leader of SODELPA made the totally false and ridiculous allegation in an email that Mr Jai Ram Reddy (former leader of NFP) was collaborating with the FLP leader (Mr Chaudhry) to unite the “Indians”,  and he asked his own party “what are we Fijians doing”! One would have thought that political leaders would by now have stopped using divisive racial politics

"In large measure, the support that Bainimarama gets from many Indo-Fijians (and also from many kailoma and kaivalagi) is due to this message of equality of all races...Non-indigenous Fijian votes, although only 35% of all votes, may well be critical in deciding which parties form government in the next parliament."

PictureNarsey
Affirmative Action for Indigenous Fijians: in the business sector

In a previous Bulletin (Bulletin 3), I have pointed out that the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples fully justifies the special treatment of indigenous peoples where they lag behind other ethnic groups, for systematic reasons.

In Bulletin 2, I gave the example of scholarships for education, where they needed special allocations to ensure that they were not marginalized from training necessary to reach proper  balance in the economy.

This balance for indigenous people is absolutely necessary in the business sector, where indigenous Fijians have a tiny share of corporate ownership.

It has been totally remiss of several largely Indo-Fijian dominated political parties to use Fijian Holdings Limited as a political football, in trying to tarnish the SVT or the SDL by alleging that they were only making elite or rich Fijians richer.

I argued here in this Statement for Mr Qarase in his recent trial that the only serious gap between indigenous Fijians and the other ethnic groups is at the top in the corporate sector, and it was necessary for Fiji’s economic development, that well-off or rich Fijians must be made richer.

https://narseyonfiji.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/making-rich-fijians-richer-contextual-statement-for-defense-counsel-for-mr-qarase/

Except in education, there is no need for affirmative action for the bottom 90% of the populations where Fijians and Indo-Fijians are pretty similar in terms of household income and expenditure. But there must be Affirmative Action to foster indigenous Fijians in Business, just as other ethnic groups have received in Fiji’s history (read the article above).

Issue 8        
Voters can ask political parties what will be their policies towards Affirmative Action to assist indigenous Fijians in business

Music and performing arts

Fiji multiracial communities are all characterized by their love of music and performing arts, which can be seen in the tremendous upsurge in singing competitions in the media.

Yet there is little financial support given by government or the private sector towards genuine growth in these musical and art activities, certainly nowhere near that given to sports.

The Fiji Performing Right Association Ltd, which is a strong force for trying to protect the royalty incomes of their members, needs far great support from government resources. They also need new initiatives to strengthen the capacity of their members to grow their industry, and strengthen indigenous music and arts in Fiji, and music in all the vernaculars.

Issue 9            

Voters can ask all political parties what will be their  policies to

(a) strengthen the local music industry, arts and cultures

(b) providing adequate resources to the Fiji Performing Right Association Ltd to better assist their members through their special projects aimed at schools and the general public.

National Identity and Inclusiveness

Since the 1987 coup, one of the most contentious issues which have impacted on public perceptions and attitudes towards the government of the day, those in authority, and political parties, is whether they foster a sense of “inclusivity”  amongst all ethnic groups.

Sadly, indigenous Fijian ethno-nationalists have tended to stigmatize Indo-Fijians (people of Indian origin), and to a lesser extent kaivalagi (of “European origin”) and kailoma (mixed European and local origins) as “vulagi” (“visitors”).At the extremes, one politician (Butadroka) thrived by calling on Indo-Fijians to be repatriated to India.

One Cabinet Minister from the SDL Party not too long ago called Indo-Fijians “weeds” with no censure or apologies from the party leadership.

Such open racism has inevitably created a deep sense of “not belonging” and vulnerability amongst these Fiji citizens, and they flock to any Fijian leader who is inclusive towards them. Indo-Fijians loved Dr Bavadra in the brief period he was allowed to lead Fiji.

Many will also remember that during the 1999 Elections, one Dr Baba (then part of the FLP) received adulatory rakhis during raksha bandhan,  from Indo-Fijian ladies (the rakhi is a colorful thread tied on the wrist to express the love of sisters for their protective brothers).

Historically, no Fijian leader has emphasized the principles of equality and inclusivity of all ethnic groups in Fiji, as much as Commodore Bainimarama.

In large measure, the support that Bainimarama gets from many Indo-Fijians (and also from many kailoma and kaivalagi) is due to this message of equality of all races, which he backs with the appointment of prominent Indo-Fijians, kavalagi and kailoma, to high places, to the removal or ethnic criteria in education, and to his  unfortunate dictatorial declaration that all Fiji citizens are to be called “Fijians” (which will no doubt be challenged in the next parliament). But it is a wonder that other Fijian politicians do not emulate Bainimarama’s rhetoric and messages in this regard, given its importance in nation-building.  

On the contrary, one politician who tried to become the leader of SODELPA made the totally false and ridiculous allegation in an email that Mr Jai Ram Reddy (former leader of NFP) was collaborating with the FLP leader (Mr Chaudhry) to unite the “Indians”,  and he asked his own party “what are we Fijians doing”! One would have thought that political leaders would by now have stopped using divisive racial politics.

Note that treating all citizens as equals does not preclude Affirmative Action policies for indigenous Fijians where they systematically lag behind such as in education or business (while not discriminating against others’ legitimate  rights as citizens).

But note that non-indigenous Fijian votes, although only 35% of all votes, may well be critical in deciding which parties form government in the next parliament.

Issue 10      
     

Voters can ask all political parties to specify what will be their policies towards non-indigenous ethnic communities in Fiji as full citizens to be accorded full respect and inclusivity in national life.

Fijileaks Editor: This is a continuation from previous Bulletin 6: http://www.fijileaks.com/2/post/2014/03/bulletin-6-wadan-narsey-continues-with-his-analysis-women-in-fiji.html
BULLETIN FIVE:
http://www.fijileaks.com/2/post/2014/03/professor-wadan-narseys-election-issues-no-5-jobs-incomes-and-gdp.html
BULLETIN FOUR:
http://www.fijileaks.com/2/post/2014/03/old-and-young-at-the-polls-professor-narsey-continues-with-his-analysis-of-issues-at-stake-for-all-political-parties-in-september-bulletin-four.html
BULLETIN THREE:
http://www.fijileaks.com/2/post/2014/03/professor-narseys-bulletin-three-constitution-and-contentious-decrees.html
BULLETIN TWO
http://www.fijileaks.com/2/post/2014/03/professor-wadan-narsey-voters-must-ask-all-political-parties-what-their-policy-would-be-on-education2.html
BULLETIN ONE: http://www.fijileaks.com/2/post/2014/02/grey-power-two-hundred-thousand-pensioners-and-fnfp-contributors-will-form-powerful-voting-block-if-and-when-elections-are-held-in-fiji.html

Picture
Rear Admiral Bainimarama says Race Based Scholarship was Divisive; defends his Government's new toppers scholarships and Government loan scheme

Opposing policies will affect some education initiatives brought in by the current government if the Social Democratic and Liberal Party forms the next government. For years the Fijian government was giving out race based scholarships. 

For the itaukei scholarships, the main criteria was that the applicant had to be a itaukei or Rotuman. The other scholarship system was the Multi Ethnic scholarships which were only given to Indo Fijians and the minority community.The qualifying marks and salary levels of parents for both categories were also different. Starting from this year, the current government decided that race based scholarships should be abolished and scholarship awards should be based on merit. This resulted in the setting up of the National Toppers Scheme. 

The government has also set up the Tertiary Loan Scheme which has given many people the opportunity to pursue further education after completing secondary education. Prime Minister, Rear Admiral Voreqe Bainimarama said the race based scholarship programme is a divided way of looking at building national capacity.  Bainimarama said more Fijian youth than ever before now have access to tertiary education under the new toppers scholarship and Government loan scheme. 

The Prime Minister said to revert to the old system would rob so many students around the country of the opportunity to pursue their dreams with a university education. Bainimarama said the previous system lacked transparency where people accessed scholarships depending many times on who you were or who you knew. However SODELPA's senior official, Doctor Tupeni Baba stressed that SODELPA will not change it's stand as the new system has not been approved by an elected parliament. Source: Fijivillage News

Fijileaks Editor: See previous analysis published by us: EQUITY OVER DIVERSITY: The Impact of Merging Government Scholarship Programs on i-taukei Fijians: The scholarship gap before the merger were somewhat marginal. However it is now compounded, giving the upper edge to Indo-Fijian after introduction of merit-based system in 2010

7 Comments
Sodelpa Sopta
20/3/2014 04:39:44 pm

Isa, finally the racism floats to the surface from Professor Wadan Narsey.

You can take Indian out of India but you can't take racism out of Indo-Fijian!

Bring on Sodelpa - we need our chiefs, church, and land back, and soon.

Reply
indigenous
21/3/2014 01:58:03 pm

sorry sopta but there is a world of difference between fighting for your rights as indigenous peoples, recognised by international law as pointed out by the professor, and racism. in fact those who refuse to acknowledge indigneous rights are the racist ones...guised cunningly by the likes of kaiyum, baini and shameems as "equal rights".

Reply
Election Commissioner
20/3/2014 04:47:59 pm

Baba, you were not bloody elected in the last election, so get lost, you loser and opportunist: "Doctor Tupeni Baba stressed that SODELPA will not change it's stand as the new system has not been approved by an elected parliament."

Frank, bring on your party. I am an i-aukei and for the first time my relatives are benefiting in a level playing field of scholarship allocation.

Reply
rajesh
21/3/2014 12:53:45 am

Baba u r racist and a prostitute ...
we dont need u

Reply
Ulukau
20/3/2014 10:44:40 pm

EC
Luveni ulukau.....
Where is the ethnic breakdown of the Toppers Scholarship for 2014? Too explosive he? with only 80 for kai viti and 520 for non indegis

Reply
Reader
21/3/2014 10:46:05 pm

Ulukau, it's called "Toppers" meaning it's based on merit. Ethnicity should not and does not plays any role in the NTS. If this is too hard for you to comprehend, then I suggest you get off the web and pick up an Enid Blyton.

Reply
JOSAIA TUBS
24/3/2014 04:02:22 pm

the scholarship scheme will create disparity and social instability in the future...Bai is so arrogant and is doing everything to create more unrest in the future

Reply

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