SPARE US the views of OBTUSE [STUPID] Education Minister REDDY who claims FIJI LACKS INTELLECTUALS: Is he attacking USP economist Dr Neelesh Gounder who wrote many pieces in Fiji Times on governance?

6/6/2016

"Some of those commenting from universities, they write about areas in which they have no expertise in and are, to some extent, tainted with their political affiliation. I suggest that they maintain or remain in their area and write feature articles and papers from a research paper and in that way they are protected. They should do a research paper and get it published in rank journals and from that, tease out a four page article — no one can question you. But if an economist writes about political science, then we get worried about it." - REDDY

Khaiyum: 'Shut up you
Bloody Obtuse Idiot'

MP Reddy: Fiji lacks intellectuals

Monday, June 06, 2016

EDUCATION Minister Dr Mahendra Reddy says there is a lack of intellectuals in universities in the country.

He made the comment while opening the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 7th Symposium on Sensorless Control for Electrical Drives at the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa in Nadi yesterday.

Dr Reddy also lamented the lack of critical analysis of government policies and he said the few intellectuals who did make comment, were speaking in areas they were not experts in.

"We hardly see intellectuals in Fiji," he said.

"We see lots of teachers in universities and quite a few good academics but very few intellectuals in universities.

"I hope we do see intellectuals in universities who are able to use their research to make a difference in policy making.

"Over the past 19 months in Government, I have not seen critical analysis of government policies by academics.

"Some of those commenting from universities, they write about areas in which they have no expertise in and are, to some extent, tainted with their political affiliation.

"I suggest that they maintain or remain in their area and write feature articles and papers from a research paper and in that way they are protected.

"They should do a research paper and get it published in rank journals and from that, tease out a four page article — no one can question you.

"But if an economist writes about political science, then we get worried about it."

Fiji is hosting the IEEE Symposium for the first time.

The event was organised by the University of the South Pacific and ends today. Source: Fiji Times

Fijileaks: If a bunch of Indo-Fijians were a majority on the Opposition benches and a native Fijian Education Minister stood up and boasted that he was a "TOPPER" and they need to have some TOPPERS there, the gut reaction of the Indo-Fijian MPs would be, "Hey, Calling us dumb coolies. You Idiot". That is what Draunidalo meant, nothing more and nothing less. Anyway, why didn't Aiyaz Khaiyum object on the floor of the House. If anything, he was foul-mouthing Reddy, suggesting to NFP president Tupou Draunidalo that she should have referred to Reddy in Parliament as bloody "Obtuse" - "Thick" - meaning STUPID. Idiot means "a person of low intelligence". Basically, it was rose by another name - both, Khaiyum and Draunidalo concurred that Reddy was stupid or a person of low intelligence. He was NO TOPPER; he was OBTUSE:
stupid or unintelligent

8 Comments

Fiji First Party

6/6/2016 09:31:35 am

Minister Reddy first and foremost belongs to a Party with a STOLEN name.

What intellectual feat did AG Aiyaz and PM Bainimarama exhibit becoming this world’s most pitiable IP Thieves? They just displayed us their empty-headedness – very shamelessly.

Now this bragging Topper, Education Minister –whom Aiyaz calls an obtuse – says “Fiji Lacks Intellectuals”, yeh, right!

Journalist with Principles

6/6/2016 08:36:59 pm

Vijay Narayan has the audacity to claim that his text messages were sent as a journalist to the obtuse AG on Hon Tupou D. In fact what every good journalist worth their salt knows, is that we have a duty to be ethical and to protect the principles of our profession. His text messages were leading questions! He was leading the Attorney General into an area which Government did not obviously have. An indication from the AG that they had not heard the issue should have been treated with caution. But to offer that they had the audio, was a pretty leading of evidence and made worse with the second part of the communication, probing whether something was going to be done to Tupou. Vijay...your rubbish will not sit with journalists who have had more years of professional experience and ethical work than you. Go get yourself qualified so you stop being a snake in the grass because you just brought the whole news industry into shame!

Dekho

7/6/2016 08:40:08 am

A chamcha of the powerful rulers is what Vijay Narayan has shown himself to be by conscious choice, thereby abdicating his professional ethics as a journalist. He provides a good example of the kind of Indians who made British rule in India possible for so long. There is little value in reminding the Vijay Narayans of professional integrity and journalistic ethics etc. They are lackeys, full stop .

Tui

6/6/2016 09:52:16 pm

what a pity? now they are even attacking academics...

Builder

6/6/2016 11:00:19 pm

During our days studying at USP, they used to train us in logical thinking. Applying the same training I found N Goundar's FT articles very weak in logic. But that does not give a right to the politicians to condemn Goundar and ask for his dismissal. Like they did for Dr. Wadan Narsey, Dr. Biman Prasad, Dr. Ganesh Chand, Dr. Richard Wah, Dr. Ropate Qalo, etc. Academic Freedom must be respected. Too many academics have been sacrificed in a country which had rather few academics to start with.

Rajend Naidu

7/6/2016 12:47:36 am

Editor,
Intellectuals in Fiji
I looked up Intellectual in Wikipedia just to get a more concise and conceptual definition . " An intellectual is a person who engages in critical study,thought, and reflection about the reality of society, and proposes solutions for the normative problems of that society,and, by such discourse in the public sphere, he or she gains authority within the public opinion. Coming from the world of culture, either as a creator or as a mediator, the intellectual participates in politics, either to defend a concrete proposition or to denounce an injustice, usually by producing or by extending an ideology, and by defending a system of values..."
Within this definitional framework by experience both as a university student and a part-time tutor in Fiji is that there is no shortage of intellectuals in Fiji.
For a small island country with less than one million people Fiji has produced many very respected and reputable intellectuals. And yes, there are also others whose PhDs are not worth shit.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

OnlyOne

7/6/2016 07:49:10 am

There is ONLY one Intellectual in Fiji - Intellectual Topper !

Rajend Naidu

7/6/2016 09:56:40 am

Editor,
The True Intellectual
The definition that appeals to me comes from Edward Said :
" ... someone able to speak the truth, a ... courageous and angry individual for whom no worldly power is too big and imposing to be criticised and pointedly taken to task. The real or true intellectual is therefore always an outsider, living in self- imposed exile, and on the margins of society. He or she speaks to, as well as for, a public, necessarily in public, and is properly on the side of the dispossessed, the unrepresented and the forgotten".
The people of Fiji can be proud they have intellectuals who fit Said's definition, even if it's only a very small number.
And there are of course intellectuals in Fiji who are properly on the side of those in power.
I don't think in Said's definition they qualify as " the real or true intellectual ".
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

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SPARE US the views of OBTUSE [STUPID] Education Minister REDDY who claims FIJI LACKS INTELLECTUALS: Is he attacking USP economist Dr Neelesh Gounder who wrote many pieces in Fiji Times on governance?

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