Author: Shyam Khosla
Publication: Organiser
Date: September 3, 2000
FIJI's deposed Prime
Minister, Mahendra Pal Chaudhry, received a hero's welcome wherever he
went during his week long visit to India. Prominent citizens of Delhi
belonging to all walks of life turned up it good strength at the civic
reception organised by the BJP-run Delhi Municipal Corporation where the
Mayor, Shanti Desai, pledged the people's total support to the visiting
Prime Minister's struggle against racial discrimination and for the restoration
of democracy in Fiji. Union Home Minister L.K. Advani represented
the Government at the civic reception and addressed Chaudhry as the Prime
Minister of Fiji. In Haryana-where the Prime Minister went to visit
his ancestral village-people in thousands lined up the entire route from
Delhi to Rohtak. The State Government organised a public reception
in honour of the visiting dignitary and the Maharishi Dayanand University
conferred on him an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters in recognition
of his pioneering services to the Fijian Society and his fight for the
cause of democracy and social harmony.
The sentiments expressed
by elected representatives of people at these receptions and the measured
observations made by dignitaries representing the Government of India reflected
the nation's sense of outrage against developments in the far away tiny
Island of Fiji. There is now better awareness about the misdeeds
of the gang of criminals that overthrew a duly elected Government enjoying
an overwhelming majority in Parliament just because it was headed by a
person of Indian origin. The Indian masses have made it known in
unmistakable terms that they support Mahendra Chaudhry's fight for the
restoration of democracy in his adopted country. They have left no
one in doubt that India is proud of persons of Indian origin who have brought
glory to the motherland by emerging as leaders in various walks of life
and for playing a magnificent role in the development of the countries
they adopted as their home.
It was 131 years ago,
that the British rulers took about 65,000 Indians as indentured labour
to work on their sugarcane plantations in Fiji presumably because the Fijian
tribals were not up to the mark. The demand for bringing back the
Indians forcibly taken to Fiji gained momentum during India's freedom movement.
The British yielded under public pressure and consented to cancel the agreement.
However, a large number of Indian workers settled in the Pacific Island
agreed to stay back following British Government's assurances and guarantees
to protect their civil and political rights. The Indo-Fijians, as
they are now called, are the fifth generation of immigrant workers who
constitute about half the population of the Island.
People of Indian origin,
Chaudhry proudly proclaims, consider India as their mother even as they
remain committed to the welfare and development of Fiji. They are
determined to fight for their political and other rights and restoration
of democracy. They expect Mother India to come to their help in their
struggle against the deadly mix of racial discrimination and dictatorship.
Indians are anguished
and agitated over the stark reality that people of Indian origin have been
subjected to racial discrimination ever since Fiji gained freedom in 1970.
Ethnic Fijians resisted Indo-Fijians demand for one-man-one-vote.
A compromise of sorts was reached through a carefully crafted constitution
that ensured certain guarantees for the majority community and reserved
certain high offices for ethnic Fijians. The fragile compromise collapsed
when Timoci Bavada's Government-in which Indo-Fijians were in a majority
and Chaudhry was one of the ministers-came to power in 1987. Within
a month the Government was overthrown by the notorious coup staged by Colonel
Sitiveni Rabuka. A new constitution that was more discriminatory
against the people of Indian origin than the earlier one was adopted in
1990. It gave ethnic Fijians 37 seats against 27 to Indo-Fijians
in Parliament. It also debarred Indo-Fijians to occupy any high office
in the Government.
Indo-Fijians under the
leadership of Mahendra Chaudhry waged a grim struggle for democratic rights
for several years before a new constitution came into force in 1997.
Of course, international pressures did play a big role in forcing the practitioners
of neo-apartheid to agree to a one-person-one-vote system. This is
not to suggest the 1997 constitution gave equal rights to all citizens.
The office of President is reserved for ethnic Fijians and several special
rights and privileges of the ethnic Fijians are enshrined in the constitution.
It specifically states that in the event of a conflict, if all efforts
for a compromise fail, the rights and interests of the ethnic Fijians shall
prevail. Indo-Fijians accepted these provisions to pave the way for
the restoration of democracy in the Island where the roots of the system
are still shallow.
Prime Minister Mahendra
Chaudhry played his cards well. Acutely aware of the racist elements
in the Fijian society, he persuaded his Labour Party to join a People's
Coalition comprising parties representing all major ethnic groups in the
country. Consequently, the voters rejected Rebuka's party and the
People's Coalition won 52 seats in the 71-member Parliament. In a
bid to make his Government more broad-based, Chaudhry persuaded two small
parties to join his coalition raising its strength in the Parliament to
57. He went out of his way to respect and sentiments of the ethnic
Fijians by including a dozen ethnic Fijians in his 18-member Cabinet.
Only six of his ministers are of Indian origin.
The massive verdict of
the people and every conceivable precaution taken by the Prime Minister
did not prevent the racists to stage a coup. George Speight, it appears,
was only the front man. The Police Chief Iskia Savua was the leader
of the coup. He chickened out when the army refused to support the
coup for its own reasons. The interim Government installed by the
army has no constitutional right to continue in office. Although
the interim Government has booked Speight for treason it has refused to
allow the duly elected Government to resume office. It is resisting
international pressures, or whatever goes under this name, by promising
that democracy would be restored in two years. These promises lack
credibility and no one knows what are the intentions of those behind the
coup. Is Uncle Sam supporting them?
Australia and New Zealand
have made appropriate noises about imposing sanctions if democracy was
not restored in Fiji. But unfortunately, none of these countries
have taken a strident stand as was done in 70s. Both the countries
have sent back their diplomats to Fiji confirming apprehensions that they
are not too willing to impose harsh economic sanctions to bring the usurpers
of power to their senses. Chaudhry's offer to form a national Government
does not seem to have any impression on the racist and fascist elements
in Fiji.
New Delhi's initial reaction
was of deep concern over the emergence of neo-apartheid in Fiji.
The Government, however, did not make any move for the restoration of the
coalition Government headed by Mahendra Chaudhry. Its cautious approach
was perceived to be a tactical move to ensure personal safety of the hostages.
Now, the situation has changed. Chaudhry and other hostages have
been released and Goerge Speight has been charged with treason. Indians
are agitated and want the Government to get over its reticence. By
treating Chaudhry as a Prime Minister on vacation the Government has sent
the signal that it still recognises him as the head of the legal and constitutional
government of Fiji. This alone will not do. The Government
must play a pro-active role in mobilising international opinion in favour
of restoration of democracy in Fiji. India must knock at the doors
of Commonwealth and UNO to bring pressure on the illegitimate Government
running the show in Fiji. New Delhi must work for achieving the twin
objectives of restoration of democracy and protection of political and
civil rights for people of Indian origin. Government's policies must
be in tune with the national mood.
