Bullets for breakfast

 

 

It has been about a century since the first ethnic Indians landed in this South Pacific island, mainly as indentured labour to work in British owned plantations. Now, they constitute about 44% of the population and a perennial source of bickering among the indigenous tribes of Fiji. Since 1987, the island nation has been rocked by four military coups. In the fourth and most recent one, the armed forces boss Commander Bainimarama ousted the popularly elected government led by Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase.

The reactions have been fairly predictable. The United Nations and most leading countries of the world have condemned the coup and asked for a restoration of democracy. Australia and New Zealand blasted Fiji, which was met with harsh words from the coup leader who warned Australia not to try to foment opposition to his regime. Bainimarama said the military will confront critics with force if necessary. Qarase was warned not to return to the capital, Suva, and that he would be arrested if he did so.

Even the local media in Fiji has been harshly critical. The leading English language newspaper Fiji Times makes no bones about what it feels in an editorial, “It does not take someone with a law degree to see that the military is doing things the wrong and illegal way.” For the moment, the coup leader Bainimarama has brushed aside all criticism and his military government is even releasing ads in local TV stations and newspapers seeking ‘good’ people to help him run the government. He has also made it very clear that fresh elections could well be about two years away.

Meanwhile, ethnic Indians in Fiji seem to be caught in the cross fire. In fact, this is one legacy of the British Imperial rule that is less talked about – the scattering of Indian communities across the world who were sent primarily as virtually bonded labour to work in plantations.

You will find descendants of these Indians in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, West Indies and many African nations. Many of them suffer from prejudice and discrimination, even after all these years.