Threat of Unrest Reported

Indians And Sugar

Threat of Unrest Reported From Fiji

PRIVATE advices from Fiji suggest that something unpleasant is being cooked up by the ‘difficult” section of the Indian community, in relation to the sugar industry.

There have been close consultations be tween Mr. Patel, who is regarded as the leader of the “difficult” Indians; the •Swami, who is the official head of the chief Indian religious organisation and who has great influence; and the new Indian Commissioner, who was sent to Fiji recently by Delhi, and was generally regarded as a potential mischief-maker, but who has behaved very well up to date.

The agitation afoot is connected with the Indian community’s official demand that the sugar-growing section of the Indians in Fiji should receive a sub stantially higher reward for their services.

So far, it has been impossible to accede to this demand. The CSR Co. is believed to be sympathetic: but the Co. can do nothing about it because the price at which Fiji sugar is sold over seas is controlled by international agree ment. Unquestionably, if the CSR Co. could get more for its sugar it would, in view of the ever-rising costs of every thing, pay more to the Indian growers and workers.

It has just been officially announced in London that the price paid for sugar in 1949 will not exceed the price paid in 1948. It is explained that if the price is raised much of Fiji’s market may dis appear.

But the Indian community is not happy about this, and it is believed that the Indian leaders referred to have privately, through Delhi, made very urgent repre sentations to London.

ONE report which has reached Sydney is to the effect that if higher rates are not paid, there will be little planting of sugar in Fiji in the next season. This, of course, would be an

economic disaster. The Colony has not yet recovered from the sugar growers’ strike of 3 years ago; and it will suffer for a couple of years from the hurricane damage to the copra industry.

Another report says that if the Indian community causes trouble in Fiji, the Fijians may take a hand. The Fijians have lived in amity with the British for so long that they now are generally re garded as a race of placid Islanders.

Actually, the Fijians are a spirited and belligerent race and it would not take a great deal to arouse them, in rather startling fashion, against the Indians.

Fiji’s well-wishers hope sincerely that the Patel-'Swami-Waiz triumvirate will not lead the Fiii Indians into trouble but, instead, will recognise the acute problem which faces the Fiji Government, and lend their co-operation accordingly, for the benefit of all.