Latest news with #Indo-Fijians
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
70-year-old statue of Hanuman stolen from Fiji temple, idol was cemented to the floor
The Hanuman idol was cemented on the floor. (Photo: Fijivillage) A 70-year-old statue of Lord Hanuman was stolen from Wailailai Kuti in Ba, prompting a police investigation into the theft. The 35 cm idol was cemented to the floor but vanished overnight. Fijivillage reported that police said the temple's 68-year-old assistant treasurer discovered the theft Wednesday morning and lodged a report. Shree Sanatan Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha President, Dhirendra Nand, described the theft as 'deeply hurtful' and confirmed the organisation will conduct its own internal investigation alongside police inquiries. He told the news outlet that CCTV cameras are installed in the temple and urged authorities to examine the footage. 'We have confidence in the law and order of this country and in the Police Force. We hope the truth will come before the public very soon,' Nand said and urged devotees to not be disheartened as the incident coincided with the conclusion of Shree Krishna Janmashtami celebrations. The incident comes as the Indo-Fijian community is under increased attack in the island country. Last month, 100-year-old idols at Samabula Shiv Temple were destroyed. 28-year-old man, Sameula Tawake was charged with one count of alleged sacrilege and one count of throwing an object. Fiji's former attorney general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum voiced concern over the environment for the Indo-Fijian community in the country. He said the desecration was the act of an individual "possibly radicalised to execute religious hatred with purpose." "Inconsistent concern and commitment by the Prime Minister about hate speech and discrimination gives rise to and encourages radical ethno- nationalists who engage the political game of 'us' and 'them'," Sayed-Khaiyum wrote. "If not reined in and spoken against in the harshest of terms by our leaders and those in positions of authority, then such acts will only give more oxygen to others who are already vulnerable to hate and discrimination." The desecration of non-Christian places of worship started when "overt and blatant hate was espoused against Indo-Fijians in 1987, to justify the overthrow of the (Timoci) Bavadra government," he wrote. Sayed-Khaiyum said that the rise in attacks against Indo-Fijians is being "increasingly accepted as the norm under the current leadership."
Scoop
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Fijian Indians In NZ ‘Not Giving Up' On Pasifika Classification Battle
This week marks the 146th anniversary of the arrival of the first indentured labourers from British India to Fiji. Susana Suisuiki, Pacific Waves Presenter/Producer , RNZ Pacific Bulletin Editor The co-founder of Auckland's Fiji Centre is concerned that Indo-Fijians are not classified as Pacific Islanders in Aotearoa. This week marks the 146th anniversary of the arrival of the first indentured labourers from British India to Fiji, who departed from Calcutta. On 14 May 1879, the first group of 522 labourers arrived in Fiji aboard the Leonidas, a labour transportation ship. Over 60,000 men, women and children were brought to Fiji under an oppressive system of bonded labour between 1879 and 1916. Today, Indo-Fijians make up 33 percent of the population. While Fiji is part of the Pacific, Indo-Fijians are not classified as Pacific peoples in New Zealand; instead, they are listed under 'Indian' and 'Asian' on the Stats NZ website. Nik Naidu said that he understands Fiji was the only country in the Pacific where the British implemented the indentured system. 'It is also a sad legacy and a sad story because it was basically slavery,' he said. 'The positive was that that Fijian Indian community made a lasting impact on Fiji. 'They continue to be around 30 percent of the population in Fiji, and I think significantly in Aotearoa, through the migration, the numbers are, according to the community, over 100,000 in New Zealand.' However, he said the discussions on ethnic classification 'reached a stalemate' with the previous Pacific Peoples Minister. 'His basic argument was, well, ethnographically, Fijian Indians do not fit the profile of Pacific Islanders,' he said. Then-minister Aupito William Sio said in 2021 that, while he understood the group's concerns, the classification for Fijian Indians was in line with an ethnographic profile which included people with a common language, customs and traditions. Aupito said that profile was different from indigenous Pacific peoples. 'StatsNZ recognises ethnicity as the ethnic group or groups a person self-identifies with or has a sense of belonging to,' Aupito said in a letter at the time. It is not the same as race, ancestry, nationality, citizenship or even place of birth, he said. 'They have identified themselves now that the system of government has not acknowledged them. 'Those conversations have to be ongoing to figure out how do we capture the data of who they are as Fijian Indians or to develop policies around that to support their aspirations.' Naidu believes the ethnographic argument was a misunderstanding of the request. 'The request is not to say, like Chinese in Samoa, they are not indigenous to Samoa, but they are Samoans, and they are Pacific Chinese. 'So there is the same thing with Fijian Indians. They are not wanting to be indigenous. 'They do want to be recognised as separate Indians in the Pacific because they are very different from the mainland Indians. 'In fact, most probably 99 percent of Fijian Indians have never been to India and have no affiliations to India because during the Girmit they lost all connections with their families.' However, Naidu told Pacific Waves the community is not giving up. 'There was a human rights complaint made – again that did not progress in the favour of the Fijian Indians. 'Currently from…Fiji Centre's perspective, we are still pursuing that. 'We have also had a discussion with Stats NZ about the numbers and trying to ascertain just why they have not managed to put a separate category, so that we can look at the number of Fijian Indians and also relative to Pacific Islanders.' Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka told RNZ Pacific that as far as Fiji is concerned, Fijians of Indian descent are Fijian. Last year, RNZ Pacific asked the current Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti on whether Indo-Fijians were included in Ministry of Pacific Peoples as Pacific people. In a statement, his office said: 'The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is undertaking ongoing policy work to better understand this issue.' Meanwhile, the University of Fiji's vice-chancellor is asking the Australian and British governments to consider paying reparation for the exploitation of the indentured labourers more than a century ago. Professor Shaista Shameem told the ABC they endured harsh conditions, with long hours, social restrictions and low wages. She said the Australian government and the Colonial Sugar Refinery of Australia benefitted the most financially and it was time the descendants were compensated. While some community leaders have been calling for reparation, Naidu said there are other issues that need attention. He said it has been an ongoing discussion for many decades. 'It is a very challenging one, because where do you draw the line? And it is a global problem, the indenture system. It is not just unique to Fiji. 'Personally, yes, I think that is a great idea. Practically, I am not sure if it is feasible and possible.' Focus on what unites – Rabuka Fiji is on a path for reconciliation, with leaders from across the political spectrum signing a Forward Fiji Declaration in 2023, hoping to usher in a new era of understanding between the indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians. Rabuka announced a public holiday to commemorate Girmit Day in 2023. In his Girmit Day message this year, Rabuka said his government is dedicated to bringing unity and reconciliation between all races living in Fiji. 'We all know that Fiji has had a troubled past, as it was natural that conflicts would arise when a new group of people would come into another's space,' he said. 'This is precisely what transpired when the Indians began to live or decided to live as permanent citizens. 'There was distrust as the two groups were not used to living together during the colonial days. Indigenous Fijians did not have a say in why, and how many should come and how they should be settled here. Fiji was not given a time to transit. The policy of indenture labour system was dumped on us. Naturally this led to tensions and misunderstandings, reasons that fuelled conflicts that followed after Fiji gained independence.' He said 146 years later, Fijians should focus on what unites rather than what divides them. 'We have together long enough to know that unity and peace will lead us to a good future.'
Scoop
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Fijian Indians In NZ ‘Not Giving Up' On Pasifika Classification Battle
Article – RNZ This week marks the 146th anniversary of the arrival of the first indentured labourers from British India to Fiji. Susana Suisuiki, Pacific Waves Presenter/Producer , RNZ Pacific Bulletin Editor The co-founder of Auckland's Fiji Centre is concerned that Indo-Fijians are not classified as Pacific Islanders in Aotearoa. This week marks the 146th anniversary of the arrival of the first indentured labourers from British India to Fiji, who departed from Calcutta. On 14 May 1879, the first group of 522 labourers arrived in Fiji aboard the Leonidas, a labour transportation ship. Over 60,000 men, women and children were brought to Fiji under an oppressive system of bonded labour between 1879 and 1916. Today, Indo-Fijians make up 33 percent of the population. While Fiji is part of the Pacific, Indo-Fijians are not classified as Pacific peoples in New Zealand; instead, they are listed under 'Indian' and 'Asian' on the Stats NZ website. Nik Naidu said that he understands Fiji was the only country in the Pacific where the British implemented the indentured system. 'It is also a sad legacy and a sad story because it was basically slavery,' he said. 'The positive was that that Fijian Indian community made a lasting impact on Fiji. 'They continue to be around 30 percent of the population in Fiji, and I think significantly in Aotearoa, through the migration, the numbers are, according to the community, over 100,000 in New Zealand.' However, he said the discussions on ethnic classification 'reached a stalemate' with the previous Pacific Peoples Minister. 'His basic argument was, well, ethnographically, Fijian Indians do not fit the profile of Pacific Islanders,' he said. Then-minister Aupito William Sio said in 2021 that, while he understood the group's concerns, the classification for Fijian Indians was in line with an ethnographic profile which included people with a common language, customs and traditions. Aupito said that profile was different from indigenous Pacific peoples. 'StatsNZ recognises ethnicity as the ethnic group or groups a person self-identifies with or has a sense of belonging to,' Aupito said in a letter at the time. It is not the same as race, ancestry, nationality, citizenship or even place of birth, he said. 'They have identified themselves now that the system of government has not acknowledged them. 'Those conversations have to be ongoing to figure out how do we capture the data of who they are as Fijian Indians or to develop policies around that to support their aspirations.' Naidu believes the ethnographic argument was a misunderstanding of the request. 'The request is not to say, like Chinese in Samoa, they are not indigenous to Samoa, but they are Samoans, and they are Pacific Chinese. 'So there is the same thing with Fijian Indians. They are not wanting to be indigenous. 'They do want to be recognised as separate Indians in the Pacific because they are very different from the mainland Indians. 'In fact, most probably 99 percent of Fijian Indians have never been to India and have no affiliations to India because during the Girmit they lost all connections with their families.' However, Naidu told Pacific Waves the community is not giving up. 'There was a human rights complaint made – again that did not progress in the favour of the Fijian Indians. 'Currently from…Fiji Centre's perspective, we are still pursuing that. 'We have also had a discussion with Stats NZ about the numbers and trying to ascertain just why they have not managed to put a separate category, so that we can look at the number of Fijian Indians and also relative to Pacific Islanders.' Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka told RNZ Pacific that as far as Fiji is concerned, Fijians of Indian descent are Fijian. Last year, RNZ Pacific asked the current Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti on whether Indo-Fijians were included in Ministry of Pacific Peoples as Pacific people. In a statement, his office said: 'The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is undertaking ongoing policy work to better understand this issue.' Meanwhile, the University of Fiji's vice-chancellor is asking the Australian and British governments to consider paying reparation for the exploitation of the indentured labourers more than a century ago. Professor Shaista Shameem told the ABC they endured harsh conditions, with long hours, social restrictions and low wages. She said the Australian government and the Colonial Sugar Refinery of Australia benefitted the most financially and it was time the descendants were compensated. While some community leaders have been calling for reparation, Naidu said there are other issues that need attention. He said it has been an ongoing discussion for many decades. 'It is a very challenging one, because where do you draw the line? And it is a global problem, the indenture system. It is not just unique to Fiji. 'Personally, yes, I think that is a great idea. Practically, I am not sure if it is feasible and possible.' Focus on what unites – Rabuka Fiji is on a path for reconciliation, with leaders from across the political spectrum signing a Forward Fiji Declaration in 2023, hoping to usher in a new era of understanding between the indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians. Rabuka announced a public holiday to commemorate Girmit Day in 2023. In his Girmit Day message this year, Rabuka said his government is dedicated to bringing unity and reconciliation between all races living in Fiji. 'We all know that Fiji has had a troubled past, as it was natural that conflicts would arise when a new group of people would come into another's space,' he said. 'This is precisely what transpired when the Indians began to live or decided to live as permanent citizens. 'There was distrust as the two groups were not used to living together during the colonial days. Indigenous Fijians did not have a say in why, and how many should come and how they should be settled here. Fiji was not given a time to transit. The policy of indenture labour system was dumped on us. Naturally this led to tensions and misunderstandings, reasons that fuelled conflicts that followed after Fiji gained independence.' He said 146 years later, Fijians should focus on what unites rather than what divides them. 'We have together long enough to know that unity and peace will lead us to a good future.'
Scoop
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Fijian Indians In NZ 'Not Giving Up' On Pasifika Classification Battle
The co-founder of Auckland's Fiji Centre is concerned that Indo-Fijians are not classified as Pacific Islanders in Aotearoa. This week marks the 146th anniversary of the arrival of the first indentured labourers from British India to Fiji, who departed from Calcutta. On 14 May 1879, the first group of 522 labourers arrived in Fiji aboard the Leonidas, a labour transportation ship. Over 60,000 men, women and children were brought to Fiji under an oppressive system of bonded labour between 1879 and 1916. Today, Indo-Fijians make up 33 percent of the population. While Fiji is part of the Pacific, Indo-Fijians are not classified as Pacific peoples in New Zealand; instead, they are listed under "Indian" and "Asian" on the Stats NZ website. Nik Naidu said that he understands Fiji was the only country in the Pacific where the British implemented the indentured system. "It is also a sad legacy and a sad story because it was basically slavery," he said. "The positive was that that Fijian Indian community made a lasting impact on Fiji. "They continue to be around 30 percent of the population in Fiji, and I think significantly in Aotearoa, through the migration, the numbers are, according to the community, over 100,000 in New Zealand." However, he said the discussions on ethnic classification"reached a stalemate" with the previous Pacific Peoples Minister. "His basic argument was, well, ethnographically, Fijian Indians do not fit the profile of Pacific Islanders," he said. Then-minister Aupito William Sio said in 2021 that, while he understood the group's concerns, the classification for Fijian Indians was in line with an ethnographic profile which included people with a common language, customs and traditions. Aupito said that profile was different from indigenous Pacific peoples. "StatsNZ recognises ethnicity as the ethnic group or groups a person self-identifies with or has a sense of belonging to," Aupito said in a letter at the time. It is not the same as race, ancestry, nationality, citizenship or even place of birth, he said. "They have identified themselves now that the system of government has not acknowledged them. "Those conversations have to be ongoing to figure out how do we capture the data of who they are as Fijian Indians or to develop policies around that to support their aspirations." Naidu believes the ethnographic argument was a misunderstanding of the request. "The request is not to say, like Chinese in Samoa, they are not indigenous to Samoa, but they are Samoans, and they are Pacific Chinese. "So there is the same thing with Fijian Indians. They are not wanting to be indigenous. "They do want to be recognised as separate Indians in the Pacific because they are very different from the mainland Indians. "In fact, most probably 99 percent of Fijian Indians have never been to India and have no affiliations to India because during the Girmit they lost all connections with their families." However, Naidu told Pacific Waves the community is not giving up. "There was a human rights complaint made - again that did not progress in the favour of the Fijian Indians. "Currently Centre's perspective, we are still pursuing that. "We have also had a discussion with Stats NZ about the numbers and trying to ascertain just why they have not managed to put a separate category, so that we can look at the number of Fijian Indians and also relative to Pacific Islanders." Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka told RNZ Pacific that as far as Fiji is concerned, Fijians of Indian descent are Fijian. Last year, RNZ Pacific asked the current Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti on whether Indo-Fijians were included in Ministry of Pacific Peoples as Pacific people. In a statement, his office said: "The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is undertaking ongoing policy work to better understand this issue." Meanwhile, the University of Fiji's vice-chancellor is asking the Australian and British governments to consider paying reparation for the exploitation of the indentured labourers more than a century ago. Professor Shaista Shameem told the ABC they endured harsh conditions, with long hours, social restrictions and low wages. She said the Australian government and the Colonial Sugar Refinery of Australia benefitted the most financially and it was time the descendants were compensated. While some community leaders have been calling for reparation, Naidu said there are other issues that need attention. He said it has been an ongoing discussion for many decades. "It is a very challenging one, because where do you draw the line? And it is a global problem, the indenture system. It is not just unique to Fiji. "Personally, yes, I think that is a great idea. Practically, I am not sure if it is feasible and possible." Focus on what unites - Rabuka Fiji is on a path for reconciliation, with leaders from across the political spectrum signing a Forward Fiji Declaration in 2023, hoping to usher in a new era of understanding between the indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians. Rabuka announced a public holiday to commemorate Girmit Day in 2023. In his Girmit Day message this year, Rabuka said his government is dedicated to bringing unity and reconciliation between all races living in Fiji. "We all know that Fiji has had a troubled past, as it was natural that conflicts would arise when a new group of people would come into another's space," he said. "This is precisely what transpired when the Indians began to live or decided to live as permanent citizens. "There was distrust as the two groups were not used to living together during the colonial days. Indigenous Fijians did not have a say in why, and how many should come and how they should be settled here. Fiji was not given a time to transit. The policy of indenture labour system was dumped on us. Naturally this led to tensions and misunderstandings, reasons that fuelled conflicts that followed after Fiji gained independence." He said 146 years later, Fijians should focus on what unites rather than what divides them. "We have together long enough to know that unity and peace will lead us to a good future."
