Fiji Indians?

What Is To Be Done With The Fiji Indians?

rpHE ugliest problem in the South A Pacific Territories to-day is found in Fiji. What is to be done there with the Indian community, which already numbers 125,000 in a total population of 260,000, and which is increasing twice as rapidly as any other race? Here, it seems to us, are the plain alternatives. One or other of these courses of action must be adopted:— • Follow the blind, indefensible policy of the past 25 years, and allow the rapidly-breeding Indians to take possession of the archipelago by sheer force of numbers, thus wiping out the Fijian race, and establishing a new India in the pleasant and fertile South Pacific. ( This would be criminal .) • Give the Indian an equal share with the Fijian in the future control and development of the Colony, in troduce a carefully planned system of education, and trust to the Indian’s sense of justice to see that the less industrious and tenacious Fijian gets a fair deal, especially in relation to land ownership. ( This plan usually regarded as idealistic and wholly im practical.) • Select a portion of Fiji where t.he

natural conditions are good and the native population small, and remove the whole Indian population thereto — giving them complete ownership of the area, but keeping them strictly segregated (so far as land ownership and settlement are concerned) in that section of the group. The big island of Vanua Levu—second in importance only to the main island of Viti Levu —is suggested for this purpose. ( The plan has considerable merits, and many difficulties. The Indians would resist it, like wildcats .) • Remove the whole of the Indian community from Fiji to India, after giving the Indians long notice of the change, and providing them with ample compensation—the cost of which would be a permanent charge upon the Colony. ( This seems the soundest answer to the problem. But it probably would cause a complete collapse of rich Fiji's economic struc ture.) SPHERE are advocates of every one of those four alternatives. On the other hand, every one is sharply con demned by different classes of people.

There is unanimity on only one point namely, that it is vital to the future

native people for whom we accepted responsibility over 70 years ago, that some definite and clear-cut policy be now adopted, and followed, firmly and consistently.

There should be no further hesi tancy over this thing: a decision must be reached, and soon. If it is not al ready too late, now, it will be too late in another five years.

There seems to be no possibility that the two races—Fijians and In dians—will coalesce. They do not inter-marry, nor do they co-operate to any extent on matters of common concern; each holds the other in contempt. If they are to remain in joint occupation of Fiji, they will go on, apart. That, beyond any doubt, would spell the end of the Fijian race.

According to Islands standards the Fijian is an exceedingly desirable per son-courageous, proud, intelligent, friendly, hospitable, dependable. But, like all Islanders, he is not very in dustrious, nor exceedingly tenacious in his purposes, and he is no trader.

The Indian, on the other hand, is an alert and tireless trader, and is indus trious, and most tenacious in his pursuits; and he breeds in a pheno menal way. The Fijian does not stand a chance against him.

The matter is in the hands of the British who, so far, have tried to treat both races with respect and even-handed justice. But the situa tion is difficult for them, because they

while there is no warmth in their re gard for the Indians. For that, the Indians have only themselves to blame. For a couple of decades, their professional agitators embarrassed the British administration by howling and yelling for political equality.

Then, while the British were engaged (practically at Fiji’s front door) in the most critical war in their history, the Indians remained surly and aloof and unco-operative, in contrast with the Fijians, who aligned themselves with the Allies, and fought magnifi cently.

This, actually, was the Fiji-Indians’ great opportunity. If they had taken their proper part in the Pacific War, they might have established some real claim to permanent residence in Fiji.

As it is, they earned precisely the consideration that they will get.

THE Fiji British do not blame all the Indians for the unpleasant political situation—in fact, they do not blame 95 per cent, of them. They say that the great majority are quiet, peaceable, industrious folk whose only faults are that they will have swarms of children, and they will follow blindly the shallow-pated, argumen tive, half-educated agitators who call themselves the “leaders.” If Fiji could get rid of all the Bombay traders and Madrassi lawyers, the In dian problem would be easier of solu tion.

The problem demands solution the more urgently because of the startling spread of Communism throughout Southern Asia, and because the new State of India has—as reported else where—just appointed a Commis sioner to Fiji. There is nothing in Fiji for such a Commissioner to do— except stir up political mischief. Al ready, there are far too many links between the Fiji Indians and India: that is why the outlook for perman ent Indian settlement in Fiji is so blue.

The British Colonial Office should not have permitted the appointment of that Commissioner. On the con trary, the CO should have applied it self to the problem of how to rid Fiji of the parasitical Indian growth, be fore Fiji itself is strangled.

For the time being, however, nothing is to be expected of London.

The Government which, through myopia and weakness, has lost Egypt, Palestine, India, Ceylon, Burma and (we fear) Malaya, is not likely to bring to the Fiji problem either the vision or the strength that is neces sary if an early solution is to be found. Yet a solution must be found, soon, if one of the best of the Islands races is to be saved.

Dr. Clinton Manson-Bahr has been appointed physician-specialist to the Fiji Department of Health. He will arrive in the Colony shortly. He is a son of Sir Philip Manson-Bahr. consulting physician to the Colonial Office. Sir Philip visited Fiji in 1910 to carry out research