By "RATU TALANOA"
"I saw your postings on PM's Visit to Canada. I know PM genuinely laments why those people had to leave their homes. Many had no option but were driven out. It helps the healing process when someone from the iTaukei side can publicly say sorry and PM has said this a few times now to our communities living abroad, creating a fertile diaspora for us to reap from. People who love Fiji and call it home, despite being shunned. The PM continually says this because he believes Fiji is poorer without them. The lucky ones escaped but some who really suffered the most humiliation are still there at everyone's mercy and nowhere to go. I hope for them that Fiji will become their preferred home with the changes in train in Fiji today.
But what upsets me is that the very person [Ratu Inoke Kubuabola] who caused so much pain to the Indo-Fijians, atrocious pain and suffering, is still in the PM's Cabinet wearing sheep's clothing and enjoying the spoils, but stealthily rocking the boat. He is the man responsible for the exodus of 1987 and post and yet the PM has to apolgise for such a rogue. During each instability, he has been able to climb on to the next gravy train for his own selfish ends and has never ever even cared for his own community, who languish in the villages.
Since 1987 the state of the villages have been in decay, not the beautifully kept villages and with beautifully manicured thatched houses with happy faces emerging from them, that we were accustomed to see in our youth. Yet men like this have their pockets and tummy full and still practicing their hobby of racism but now like a thief in the dark of night. Many now call him two faced but he manages to evade the ever watchful eyes of our PM. He believes that the Lord Jesus is iTaukei. God help him when he fronts HIM. Surprise?
May I ask you [Fijileaks Editor-in-Chief] why some of your postings may appear to be anti-Aiyaz Khaiyum. I know you well. I know you care very much about Fiji, which you still so emotionally call home. I know you care the fate of the Indo Fijian people since the evil days of 1987, separated, demoralised, discriminated and shunned. I know you care about the disadvantaged iTaukeis, a majority in fact. I know you care about democracy but I just wanted to express my view on the present situation in Fiji and not often enough portrayed.
Dear Editor, if it wasn't for Khaiyum, the Indo Fijian people would have been almost emaciated or continued to be treated as and called weeds and thorns in their own homeland. He fought and brought back some dignity for them. We, as Fijians, owe him a lot for contributing so positively to build a nation out of the two nation within the one nation that was Fiji. Much is said about his corruption without evidence and he is being targeted most viciously. I have never seen or reason to believe he is corrupt. I have seen him at close range and with most discerning eyes. He is a Minister who insists on meeting only Government Ministers, officials and institutions or representing such institutions but most reluctant when asked to meet any individuals, unless a cogent case can be made by his minders.
He does this at home and more meticulously overseas. He has been squeaky clean in the dealings that I have witnessed. It is easy to throw mud as it sticks, to demean someone, believing him to be the common enemy without understanding him or not wanting to understand him. He is different and we fear the different and are suspicious of the different because we do not like or understand the different. He has used some non-traditional ways of doing things in Fiji but one had to because the place was lopsided and spiraling down fast into the dark deep hole, with the benefit flowing to the selected few.
The governance was shot. He had to restrain the rogues and sometimes with non-traditional measures because given half a chance, the ethno-nationalist rogues were ready to take Fiji back and create chaos in the guise of being a government of sorts, punish the Indo Fijians, reward themselves, indulge in racial nepotism and practices but not making one iota of difference to the life of of the the iTaukeis who lived in poverty in the villages and in the city fringes since their reign.
Giving the example of Singapore may sound a cliche but one cannot deny the emergence of Singapore from the swamps of yesterday to a modern, prosperous, non-corrupt, successful and harmonious multi-racial society of today. All this because of the non-traditional leadership of Singapore. Their leaders knew what was good for Singapore. Khaiyum is not a racist but he despises racists. He is not anti-iTaukeis. He is just pro-Fijian, in its new meaning. He cares for a prosperous Fiji which will benefit all the Fijians. He believes deeply in one Fiji. He is by no means a Muslim first, as he is being mischievously portrayed,. He practices his religion, the religion he knows, as he should if he is a man of God but he respects every other religion just as much as his. It is a cheap shot and the result of religious bigotry, another evil that has kept us back.
There are not many Indo-Fijian leaders who had his courage to talk about one Fiji for all and doing something to achieve it. In fact today, he is supported by both the major races and these are people who are prepared to keep their eyes open to see the positive changes and who want to see everyone prosper. These are the silent majority.
Apart from the PM Bainimarama, Khaiyum is the only Minster who thinks strategically for the country as whole and not in a sectoral manner and who works his butt off. This man hardly sleeps. He is in a hurry to change Fiji so that it is moving in the direction it should have been from 45 years ago. He believes we can still catch that development train that left the station without stopping because all the stations were pillaged. Please God give him good health to achieve what he has embarked on with the PM leading.
There are very effective and nasty forces at work today in Fiji, albeit in the minority but highly vocal and dangerous. They like drama and instability. They play dirty with dirty politics, language and foul play. There are rumours created and then viciously fanned to get legs. They want to divide society to achieve their selfish ends. They do not work to build a nation. They want two nations in one. How can such a nation succeed in this most competitive and modern world? They are trying to create a nation of rumour mongers, often in the name of God but often creating a God in their own image. They believe God is blind when they are always ready to cast the first stone and pay lip service to the command "to love one another as I have loved you".
Today, there are enormous reforms and development taking place in Fiji which was allowed to decay. There is enormous outstanding work still to be be caught up with because of the past neglect, politics and decay. Fiji today is a work in progress. The job has begun. We do not want it to stop. Thank you, Fijileaks Editor-in-Chief. I hope you will publish this opinion piece of mine in Fijileaks.
"I saw your postings on PM's Visit to Canada. I know PM genuinely laments why those people had to leave their homes. Many had no option but were driven out. It helps the healing process when someone from the iTaukei side can publicly say sorry and PM has said this a few times now to our communities living abroad, creating a fertile diaspora for us to reap from. People who love Fiji and call it home, despite being shunned. The PM continually says this because he believes Fiji is poorer without them. The lucky ones escaped but some who really suffered the most humiliation are still there at everyone's mercy and nowhere to go. I hope for them that Fiji will become their preferred home with the changes in train in Fiji today.
But what upsets me is that the very person [Ratu Inoke Kubuabola] who caused so much pain to the Indo-Fijians, atrocious pain and suffering, is still in the PM's Cabinet wearing sheep's clothing and enjoying the spoils, but stealthily rocking the boat. He is the man responsible for the exodus of 1987 and post and yet the PM has to apolgise for such a rogue. During each instability, he has been able to climb on to the next gravy train for his own selfish ends and has never ever even cared for his own community, who languish in the villages.
Since 1987 the state of the villages have been in decay, not the beautifully kept villages and with beautifully manicured thatched houses with happy faces emerging from them, that we were accustomed to see in our youth. Yet men like this have their pockets and tummy full and still practicing their hobby of racism but now like a thief in the dark of night. Many now call him two faced but he manages to evade the ever watchful eyes of our PM. He believes that the Lord Jesus is iTaukei. God help him when he fronts HIM. Surprise?
May I ask you [Fijileaks Editor-in-Chief] why some of your postings may appear to be anti-Aiyaz Khaiyum. I know you well. I know you care very much about Fiji, which you still so emotionally call home. I know you care the fate of the Indo Fijian people since the evil days of 1987, separated, demoralised, discriminated and shunned. I know you care about the disadvantaged iTaukeis, a majority in fact. I know you care about democracy but I just wanted to express my view on the present situation in Fiji and not often enough portrayed.
Dear Editor, if it wasn't for Khaiyum, the Indo Fijian people would have been almost emaciated or continued to be treated as and called weeds and thorns in their own homeland. He fought and brought back some dignity for them. We, as Fijians, owe him a lot for contributing so positively to build a nation out of the two nation within the one nation that was Fiji. Much is said about his corruption without evidence and he is being targeted most viciously. I have never seen or reason to believe he is corrupt. I have seen him at close range and with most discerning eyes. He is a Minister who insists on meeting only Government Ministers, officials and institutions or representing such institutions but most reluctant when asked to meet any individuals, unless a cogent case can be made by his minders.
He does this at home and more meticulously overseas. He has been squeaky clean in the dealings that I have witnessed. It is easy to throw mud as it sticks, to demean someone, believing him to be the common enemy without understanding him or not wanting to understand him. He is different and we fear the different and are suspicious of the different because we do not like or understand the different. He has used some non-traditional ways of doing things in Fiji but one had to because the place was lopsided and spiraling down fast into the dark deep hole, with the benefit flowing to the selected few.
The governance was shot. He had to restrain the rogues and sometimes with non-traditional measures because given half a chance, the ethno-nationalist rogues were ready to take Fiji back and create chaos in the guise of being a government of sorts, punish the Indo Fijians, reward themselves, indulge in racial nepotism and practices but not making one iota of difference to the life of of the the iTaukeis who lived in poverty in the villages and in the city fringes since their reign.
Giving the example of Singapore may sound a cliche but one cannot deny the emergence of Singapore from the swamps of yesterday to a modern, prosperous, non-corrupt, successful and harmonious multi-racial society of today. All this because of the non-traditional leadership of Singapore. Their leaders knew what was good for Singapore. Khaiyum is not a racist but he despises racists. He is not anti-iTaukeis. He is just pro-Fijian, in its new meaning. He cares for a prosperous Fiji which will benefit all the Fijians. He believes deeply in one Fiji. He is by no means a Muslim first, as he is being mischievously portrayed,. He practices his religion, the religion he knows, as he should if he is a man of God but he respects every other religion just as much as his. It is a cheap shot and the result of religious bigotry, another evil that has kept us back.
There are not many Indo-Fijian leaders who had his courage to talk about one Fiji for all and doing something to achieve it. In fact today, he is supported by both the major races and these are people who are prepared to keep their eyes open to see the positive changes and who want to see everyone prosper. These are the silent majority.
Apart from the PM Bainimarama, Khaiyum is the only Minster who thinks strategically for the country as whole and not in a sectoral manner and who works his butt off. This man hardly sleeps. He is in a hurry to change Fiji so that it is moving in the direction it should have been from 45 years ago. He believes we can still catch that development train that left the station without stopping because all the stations were pillaged. Please God give him good health to achieve what he has embarked on with the PM leading.
There are very effective and nasty forces at work today in Fiji, albeit in the minority but highly vocal and dangerous. They like drama and instability. They play dirty with dirty politics, language and foul play. There are rumours created and then viciously fanned to get legs. They want to divide society to achieve their selfish ends. They do not work to build a nation. They want two nations in one. How can such a nation succeed in this most competitive and modern world? They are trying to create a nation of rumour mongers, often in the name of God but often creating a God in their own image. They believe God is blind when they are always ready to cast the first stone and pay lip service to the command "to love one another as I have loved you".
Today, there are enormous reforms and development taking place in Fiji which was allowed to decay. There is enormous outstanding work still to be be caught up with because of the past neglect, politics and decay. Fiji today is a work in progress. The job has begun. We do not want it to stop. Thank you, Fijileaks Editor-in-Chief. I hope you will publish this opinion piece of mine in Fijileaks.
