During the days of girmit, Gujarati from northwest India came to Fiji as free settlers as they were British subjects. They came as small traders and craftsmen dealing in jewellery, clothing, shoes and laundry work and many, to set themselves up, borrowed from kin in Gujerat and other Gujerati already in Fiji. Imported articles from India, costing a rupee were sold for a dollar in Fiji, making twenty-fold profits. Within two generations, some once “poor” Gujarati became multi-millionaires. Most other Indo-Fijians arrived in Fiji as indentured or contract labourers (girmiti) and while some of their descendants have done well, many are among the ranks of the poorest people in Fiji.
When outsiders talk about Indians in Fiji they do not know that the “rich” Indians they see in the tourist shops are mainly Gujerati, and some assume that all Indians have done as well. In this way many outsiders sympathise with the indigenous Fijians who they can see are not as well off as the shop Indians.
Gujerati and other Indo-Fijian businessmen are like businessmen anywhere. They will use their political contacts as one way to make money. In Fiji this has meant keeping close to the ethnic Fijian leadership from whom they can buy favours. From the days of Ratu Mara, to Rabuka, to Qarase, and NOW to Bainimarama, these tricks have helped these business people feather their nest, often to the detriment of their customers and labourers. Some influential Fijian leaders have always been in the pockets of Gujarati businessmen. The only Prime Minister, an Indo-Fijian, who took a fight with the business community to bring in a form of socialism, was unceremoniously and pre-maturely removed, thanks to assistance provided to George Speight by the yet unnamed Indo- Fijian businessmen.
The fact that Fr Kevin Barr feels frustrated over the Wages Council and minimum wage issue is appreciated and understood. One sometimes hears Indians say, my India is great, civilisation came from India. What a load of crap. It took British to stop “sati’’, the widow burning in India. It now takes Europeans like Fr Barr to fight for just wages for Indo- Fijians and others who are exploited by other Indo-Fijians. One must ask what sort of civilisation allows much social injustice? Fijians of all ethnicities should revolt against unfair business practices that make a few people very rich and depress wages to keep poor people poor. Who say Girmit is over?
Perhaps this is a cue to historian Dr Brij Lal to research the business ways of his in-laws and not leave it to his brother-in-law, Wadan Narsey, a conscientious Gujarati who is raises his voice on behalf of the people, especially the descendants of Girmitiyas, still oppressed and exploited by his fellow-Gujaratis. This thought is not intended to malign the Gujarati community which gave Fiji a leader like A.D. Patel and India and the world a statesman like Mahatma Gandhi.
Now, you may wish to report this influence of the business community and their unfair stance in Fiji media. Go ahead, make my day. The Fiji Times, who owns it? Fiji Sun, who owns it? Communications Fiji Ltd, who has interests in it? Fiji TV, who finances its revenue through the advertising dollars? The greatest threat to a free media in Fiji is not from a dictator or a military government but from those businessmen who use it to advance their own interests.
The above thoughts are from a reader who feels strongly about commercial injustice in Fiji. It is true that the increase in wealth and fortune of selected business community in Fiji is inversely related to an increase in Fiji’s poverty level, largely through the failure of the Wages Councils over the years to recommend and enforce fair and just wages for a large section of Fiji’s still non-unionised sector. And this is largely through the undue influence of the business community on the leadership of successive Fijian governments and regimes since Fiji’s independence in 1970. That appears to be the case in the most recent case leading to the frustrations of Fr Kevin Barr.
8 comments:
While the Goojies were accumulating their wealth and sending huge amounts abroad, indigenous Fijians at the bottom of their hierarchy were getting poorer and poorer with little initiative from those with wealth to reach out to those without. It would not have taken much for a wealthy merchant to donate towards the upgrading of a school in a remote village but not much of that happened. Perhaps the administrators should have been more creative and encouraged such relationships earlier on in our history then perhaps coups would not have happened. Who knows. As an administrator would say - It's now water under the bridge.
What a load of crap. I am a gujarati and my father was also a businessman and all his life he strugled to make ends meet. To generalise opinion on one particuler community like the writer has done is unfair.There are numorous other very suucessful businessmen in Fiji who are non gujatis. The way this person has written this article shows that he is obviously a racist.
@ Anonymous and Croz:
Whatever the respective views, the sight of one of Fiji's wealthiest businessmen in Viseisei Village at the Funeral Service and Final Burial in the Sau Tabu wearing his polished, hand-made shoes was extraordinary? Despite numerous requests from the Turaga ni Koro and the vanua that people should dress with respect in the indigenous Fijian manner, this was overlooked. Yet, behind him standing in a long queue was the former Prime Minister of Fiji shoeless. We do not wear our shoes when we are buried or burned at our deaths. If we are unable to subscribe to the form, we stay away.
Croz,
I found it hard to read such clap trap. I am not a Guji but I am a business man in Fiji and your generalizations and racism towards one community in Fiji is outrageous.
All businessmen try and get favor from the Government of the day. I assume you have heard of the lobbying industry in Washington. In Fiji European, Chinese and indigenous businessmen have also been close to the Government. Indeed under the current Government there are none closer than the Chinese businessmen. I don’t hear you criticizing the low wages they pay.
To say “It is true that the increase in wealth and fortune of selected business community in Fiji is inversely related to an increase in Fiji’s poverty level” is to quote you “a load of crap.”
The biggest employers in Fiji are the Guji companies and sure they may not pay top wages but they pay the going rate. Without these companies we would have far higher unemployment and far higher poverty.
The only way to reduce poverty is to grow the economy. The Gujis for all their faults have done more to grow the Fiji economy than any other group in Fiji. They have certainly done more than the Bainimarama Government with its economic record of shrinking GDP.
To also say that India was not a great civilization because they had some barbaric practices. What great civilizations didn’t? Britain has had some very disgraceful practices in the past. You are right NZ never really had any but they don’t have their own civilization. Oh no wait a minute they did have their own civilization, but Europeans, of which I take it you are one, destroyed the Maori culture.
@ What a load ... Please re-read the article. You will see that I did not write it. You will also see that it targeted the business practices of some Gujerati. You will also see that the author praised some Gujerati. I agree that it could be seen as racist but someone looking closer would see it was business practices that were criticised.
Perception is usually more powerful than fact. Isn't that the driving force behind the unrest in the Arab world. Minorities perceived to be greedier and wealthier than the majority.
@ Anonymous and the perception more powerful than fact canard....
Always so seductive to promote this age-old advertising/PR stuff. It may well be considered to be so but.....IS IT REALLY? Because sooner or later the facts will OUT. Almost invariably in a compromising manner: viz the accumulated booty in the residence of former Tunisian PM Ben Ali. Bet he never thought that all the gold, diamonds, piles of neatly assorted currency would eventually come out behind rows of bookcases for all the world to see! Well, they did. God works in mysterious and wonderful ways! No more 'perceptions', no more lies. Just good old exposure before a global audience! Now the contagion is spreading: read Albert Camus' short novel "The Plague" recently?
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