Wherever you are in Fiji or the diaspora, Grubsheet sends greetings to every Fijian on the occasion of our national day.
This is not a time for politics but to make a concerted effort, irrespective of our differences, to think of the things that bind us together as a nation and how we can all contribute. So let’s hope for a day of genuine reflection and introspection rather than some of our leaders commandeering the day for political advantage.
My own mind goes back 54 years to the day the Union flag of Great Britain was finally lowered 96 years after Cession and the following morning, the “Noble Banner Blue” was raised for the first time in Albert Park and we embarked on the path to nationhood on our own.
There’s an official film of those celebrations that I urge everyone to watch today. It seems rather quaint in retrospect. Because, of course, in the absence of home-grown filmmakers, it was made by a visiting team from Australia’s National Film Unit. And it is, by its very nature, an outsider’s perspective though one I think most Fijians shared at the time.
I remember seeing this as a 17 year old and some of it seems dated more than half a century on. Yet it nonetheless accurately captures the excitement of Independence week and the great optimism that the entire country had that having inherited solid institutions from the British, Fiji was in the best possible position to make it on our own.
There’s an unfortunate tendency these days to portray the colonial days in a negative light. The British are used as a scapegoat for any number of Fiji’s current problems. Yet my own view is that the “colonisers” – who by the way, were invited to take over the place – did everything they could to ensure Fiji’s success and the overwhelming majority of our problems have been self-inflicted.
We need to end the finger pointing and “own” our problems, solve them together and genuinely chart our own destiny. To put it more bluntly, we need to finally grow up. And we must urgently stop the rot in the institutions of state that we inherited from the British that were refined over a thousand years and are still acknowledged as the best of the world. And especially a genuinely independent judiciary and respect for the rule of law.
This is how it all began 54 years ago on a sunny day in Suva in a blaze of optimism and hope. Click on this link for a journey back in time to a more innocent era that has been lost but is well worth revisiting today to make us all think.
How do we recapture the spirit of that wonderful week? That’s in the hands of every Fijian. Happy Fiji Day and God bless our nation and its people.
NOTE: interested to hear readers’ comments on what they see in this film.
Watch out for a youthful Ratu Epeli Nailatikau as equerry to Prince Charles. Incidentally, my late father, the Rev Peter Davis, is at 35’35 representing the Methodist Church at a multi-faith Independence Service of Thanksgiving that included Hindus and Muslims. It’s a tradition that has been lost but should be resurrected. Another instance in which Fiji has gone backwards.
I cannot even bring myself to write Happy Independence Day this time. It’s difficult and different. What have we achieved and seen recently is a complete mockery of our society and its values.
The PMs address on the Fiji Government Facebook page gets 111 likes only. Uploaded 8 hours ago.
Dooms day for some.
The popularity is wearing thin.
Happy Fiji Day under a crackpot government. Anyone who rocks up to celebrations where ministers and the PM who are under investigation are chief guests need to have their heads checked. Who in their right mind would want to rock up and listen to bullshit spoken by these crooks and these self-serving imbeciles. And who in their right mind would want a photo or selfie taken with these idiots unless they are proud idiots themselves. How many such people are there in Fiji?
Come to think of it, who in their right mind would rock up to any function or event at anytime where these crooks are chief guests. Which company or business would invite such dickheads to open their new facilities and tarnish their businesses.
No self-respecting person or business would even think of this.
I would not want to be seen in the same room as any of these so called ministers or the PM. One would have to be stupid to want a pic with these people.
Those were the days, my friend. We thought they would never end.
Happy Fiji Day, Graham!
Attending primary school in Suva, I recall each student getting a bun, juice, ice cream and the new Fiji flag to celebrate independence, marking the dawn of a new era.
Back then, we would congregate after school or in the weekend near police vehicles to watch Ovisa pointing their radars to check on and book over-speeding vehicles. Only the Police, Ambulance and Fire would never get booked. A few times, we saw army officers in full uniform and in their RFMF vehicles getting booked. They would gracefully accept the Ovisa’s judgement, receive their ticket before thanking and even apologizing to Ovisa, then drive off. But come 1987, the tide changed and the men in green became untouchable. That curse has spread to even Corrections officers whose drivers love to turn on their sirens and crazily speed through the city traffic, with their crew including prisoners laughing, enjoying the ride. Can respect for the law be resurrected? Impossible, as we have a gang of law breakers in control, most likely for more years.
As you well predicted and broke GD- the Queen of Tart and Ms Dirty is indeed at Levuka as Chief Guest.
Lynda DiBenu must ga f**ked one of the loose boys at Levuka last night 😂
Vakasisila is the word for this dirty ugly person who’s got no self respect !! Vakaloloma Dina !
Yes, Fiji has indeed gone backwards as a nation. We cannot even govern ourselves to be a progressive and inclusive society. There is widespread poverty, corruption, incompetence and racism after all these years of independence. We have definitely regressed.
We should not have opted for independence at the time we did. It should have come later when we were more politically and economically mature. Most, if not all of the major problems we are all going through now is post independence. I don’t see better days anytime soon. Sad but true.
Today on Fiji news website PM and Ratu Williame talks about healing the past wound and moving forward.
Healing the past wounds and moving forward for what?? To get ready for the next one???
When grubsheet was on Facebook I would not believe the poison I taukei put in there against Indians. Telling them to go back. Indians came to Fiji “willingly “ to earn. I can list all the things that were said and on other Facebook pages and looking at them they did not look old. They were young and middle age itaukei.
Fiji school needs to teach real history in Fiji . Not the white washed one.
Indians who “willingly “ came were told they are just going across India which will take 1-2 hours to work. They only realised it was a lie when that 1-2 hours journey took days , weeks and months. They were lied to.
Women were raped , molested . In one settlement some women committed suicide.
Most of women were kidnapped and taken to port in Calcutta. Some were told that their husband had an accident. When they reached the place they were forcefully put in a vehicle. Because of the lie some left their babies at home in search for their husbands who they thought had an accident.
There was a 5 year old boy kidnapped and taken to Fiji . He was on his way to the shops . Image his pain not seeing his parents ever again . A 5 year old. Did he come willingly??
To change this poisonous mentality against Indians its needs to start from school. Teach them what really happened. What they went through. This white washing history is creating division from school.
It amazes me that this idiot PM talks about moving forward, when he is still here 39 years later and nothing has changed. Is this the Fiji style moving forward, back to the past?
If we are to move forward, why the fcuk is he still around? Can I tell him nicely to please FCUK OFF, than only can we all move forward – dickhead. He does even even know he talks shit.
Would agree, but only some points though, Anonymous. We cannot change history and somehow put unnecessary blame and burden on our children and grandchildren. This generation have to learn but not with the outcome that they somehow no mw feel responsible or aggrieved due to past misdeeds and trauma.
3 things are doomed in Fiji
1. Rabuka has no clue or the backbone to lead as PM. He’s a lameless duck with a totally deceptive agenda which he is hoping he can coup.
2. Mali2 is taking advantage of this weak leadership and is making a complete mockery of the judicial system.
3. Tart Lynda is slowly working her way up via whatever means it will take. Shameless indeed but she’s in it for herself. Again she is only doing this because of a serious lack of leadership by Rabuka.
These 3 problems are mushrooming into full blown chaos. Watch on Fiji. No religious BS will get Rabuka, the President, or any of the coalition’s cronies is going to better Fiji. The population is watching as this government steadily descends into the gutter of political history.
I am not a big fan of Mahen Chaudhry but couldn’t agree more with him on his article about Fiji Day 2024.
This was copied from Facebook.
FIJI DAY 2024
A strong message to the nation from Labour Leader Mahendra Chaudhry:
“Are we as a nation living in denial?
This is the question we should be seriously asking ourselves as we observe Fiji Day 2024. Do we have reasons to celebrate?
Are we honest enough to admit that 54 years down the road from Independence Fiji is facing enormous leadership and governance challenges endangering the very future of our nation?
There is a crisis of confidence in our leadership – leaders are seen to be self-serving, seemingly devoid of ethics and integrity, and insensitive to the needs and aspirations of the common people. They have shown a regrettable lack of vision and commitment to addressing the critical challenges facing the nation.
They have failed to keep their campaign promises to the people. Above all, government has been rocked by scams and scandals to the utter disgust of the electorate. Parliament has lost respect due to the undignified conduct of many of our MPs on the floor of the House.
The events of the last six months, in particular, have left the nation reeling in shock as it watched in dismay open defiance of the rule of law by those in authority.
The very guardians of law and order have themselves interfered in the due process in a blatant display of cronyism and clique-ism, compromising the integrity and independence of our constitutional offices.
How can any government be trusted, if those in authority continually frustrate the very processes that were put in place to keep them accountable?
These are the grim realities sapping trust and confidence in the government of the day and sending the wrong message to businesses and investors alike.
Equally disillusioned and frustrated, thousands of our young – professionals, skilled and unskilled – continue to leave our shores for a better future elsewhere.
Some five decades after independence in 1970, Fiji continues to be a struggling nation with close to 50 percent of our people living in deprivation facing enormous difficulties on a day to day basis.
We must ask ourselves why?
Why is Fiji, a country rich in both natural and human resources, reduced to relying on Budget support from our donor countries for our development needs?
Surely the answer lies in our failed and misguided leadership. We need an honest analysis of where we are headed as a nation. There is growing public perception that those who were so quick to criticise the policies and failures of the previous Fiji First government are now replicating them, if not doing worse.
The people of Fiji feel betrayed by those they voted into office. They deserve better.
Vinaka Vakalevu former Prime Minister Mahendra Pal Chaudhry.
Sorry but not really into Fiji Day. Until the day they accept an Indian as PM and show genuine reconciliation, don’t care for it.
For any country, a day like this is where you reflect on how far the country has come in terms of development, economic and prosperity of its people.
From where it started to where it is today, Fiji has failed miserably in most parts to evolve into anything “mature.” In a cut-throat world of economic evolution and a prudent management of GDP and inflation, the country has gone backwards. If we could benchmark where Fiji was during the early years under British supervision and just after independence, the country is probably doing far worse now.
Regardless of how much dirt people will throw at me for saying this, Fiji was better off staying under British governance. In gaining independence, it has achieved the following since that time:
– independence to freely engage in corruption at all levels of government
– independence to use the judiciary for malicious and unconstitutional purposes
– independence to engage in racial and ethnic cleansing of key roles within government which are now purely given to one ethnicity.
– independence to abuse taxpayer funds for personal pleasures (the Queen of Tarts religiously abides by the definition of the word “pleasure” in many ways while travelling)
– independence to allow its MP’s to carry banned narcotics while travelling (we all know who did this)
With independence comes great responsibility. Taking responsibility is a sign of maturity.
Basing this assessment off the current mob in power, Fiji has neither matured nor was it ready for independence.
Nonetheless, because everything is all fun and games in Fiji were nothing is taken seriously, happy Fiji Day all.
If you go back to the message read by Prince, now King Charles, at the hand over of constitutional documents to Ratu Mara at Albert Park you’ll find the solution to Fiji’s main problem that had we followed it, we would be in a far better place today as a nation.
Prince Charles said Fiji’s future would be bright if we followed the same way we had negotiated our independence, and this was via multiracial dialogue in a spirit of give and take, where the welfare of other races were just as important as the welfare of one’s own race.
Ratu Mara tried in his early years but after he lost his first election in 1977 things started to fall apart, and Rabuka’s 1987 coup and break from the Crown cemented Fiji’s downward slide into the abyss.
Thank you GD for the video. My wife and I were in the crowd on that day with our first child on my shoulder. We had such high hopes then but only years later our hopes were dashed and the organisation I worked for relocated us to Australia.
I couldn’t help myself laugh when I read the following words in Fiji’s Vision 2050 just released “there will be zero tolerance for corruption “ and that we will be an “exemplary example of a democracy for the region and the world.”
Also these promises “the judiciary will be regarded with the highest level of integrity and confidence” and “Fiji will have a competent and efficient judiciary that provides independant and expeditious resolution to cases.”
PM Rabuka has a lot of work to do ahead of him to fulfill these aspirational goals
Aside from a paid day off for workers to enjoy and a happy day off from school for students , the holiday celebration is meaningless if you really think about it.
Not just because of last few years or after 1987, it is probably a fair observation that the British administration would have managed the resources of the land and the ocean ( and the human resources) in a far better way than the locals have done. And we all would have been much better for that.
Celebrations of independence and freedom and self governance – really? Is it a celebration of progress?
We are deluding ourselves and fooling ourselves with hollow trophies and doing it very well.
And the current lot of leaders are pretty irrefutable proof of rot and decay and a nation in decline.
However – Happy Fiji Day! Especially those who commercially benefit from the big day.
It’s not just Fiji but the whole world who looks at the failed British empire as oppressive colonizers which made the countries they inhabited worse off. Thank God they’re not longer relevant to the world.
Hogwash. They did some bad things and they did some good things. In Fiji, they stopped tribal warfare and people from eating each other. They also protected iTaukei land from white settlers and left the place in pretty good order at Independence.
It’s been downhill ever since, largely thanks to Sitiveni Rabuka, who started the whole coup cycle and now casts himself as a victim! Unbelievable cheek.