Community Protests Against

"Insult" To Fiji Indians

Community Protests Against P. & O. Circular

From a Special Correspondent

Suva, Oct. 20.

r T'HE Indian community has been stirred * by an incident connected with the running of tourist ships from Australia to Fiji. Anything up to 1000 persons make these trips and mingle freely with the people of Suva. All three com munities—European, Indian and Fijian— do their utmost to entertain the visitors.

Recently, when a P. & 0. liner was approaching Suva, the following was cir culated aboard:—

Notice To Passengers

“The Fiji Government has lately been con cerned by a tendency on the part of some tourists to fraternise unduly with native Fijians and Indians.

“It is, of course, recognised that this has generally been the result of thoughtlessness and a spirit of natural friendliness on the part of a few tourists.

“The authorities point out, however, that any thing in the nature of social intercourse between Europeans and natives is to be deprecated, us the latter have not been accustomed to it and, therefore, do not understand it, and it might even lead to unpleasantness."

The Hon. Said Hasan, M.L.C., a lead ing barrister, thereupon wrote to the Fijian Government in’ the following terms: “I can hardly believe that the Fiji Government will be a party to the cir culation of a notice which is, to say the very least, most insulting to the Indian community.

"Either the notice in question is issued without the knowledge and authority of the Government, or it is issued under its authority or with its connivance. In the former case, the Government should at the earliest opportunity make it ex pressly clear to the Indian public that it had nothing to do, either directly or in directly, with the circulation of the offending notice.

"If, however, the latter is the case, then all I can* say is that the Government has been very ill-advised to hurl an un called-for insult on the Indians, and the sooner it withdraws the offending notice, and assures the Indian community that it has no intention of being a party to such insulting notices in the better for all concerned.

"Needless to say, I am not only giving expression to my own personal opinion, but am also voicing the opinion of the Indian community as a whole, whose responsible members approached me and brought this matter to my notice. I am sure you will appreciate that no self respecting Indian can tolerate such ac tions on the part of the Government or any one else.

"If the tourists who visit Fiji do not behave in a decent manner, it is the tourists who are to blame, and not the residents of Fiji. No community, Euro pean or non-European, can claim to be without any social evils prevailing among its members. There are European ‘undesirables,’ just as there are Indian and Fijian ‘undesirables,’ and for the

sake of a few one cannot drag down the whole community. Instead of cir culating such notices, a ban should be put on the tourists who cannot behave decently and, as such, are not fit to be associated with any respectable citizen, be he European or Indian.

“The responsibility of the Government is, in the first instance, towards its own citizens, and not towards the tourists, even if the latter were to be a source of revenue to the Colony. Let me hope that you will be good enough to press this matter on the authorities concerned, and see that some suitable action is taken to allay the feeling of resentment which is at present prevalent amongst the Indian community.”

In reply to Mr. Hasan’s letter, the Secretary for the Indian Affairs said that the notice was issued by the Shipping Company, and the Government was in formed that the notice was not intended to cast any reflection upon the conduct of Indians in Fiji, and that the Shipping Company had agreed not to issue any further copies of the notice as worded. editiorial note Mr. Hasan appeared to read more into the “notice” than obviously was intended. Never theless! in view o£ the well-known aenmtrvengs thp Indians in matters of this kind, tne Notice” St have been more happily phrased. point ab out “undesirable”

Europeans cannot be challenged. Some extra- STJ. visit the Islands to "£n ships and their costumes and behavioui wne ashore make local residents enraged and ashamed They conduct themselves in the 1 e sence of residents, both white and brown, V] a way that would quickly earn them, in ohen own country, a hearty kick in the stern.

Anyone who has been in ..f uva the visit of a passenger liner will * ha Indian and Fijian taxi-drivers, waiteis. sales men etc , who attend the visitors, are courteous, and proper in their behaviour If there has been unseemliness, it is the fault of visitors. The Indians or Fijians will react.to foolishness and familiarity much m the same way that Europeans of similar stetion will react in the same circumstances in Sydney. ’Frisco, or London.