Malayan Battalion

Fiji’s Indians and the Malayan Battalion

IURPRISE reaction to the decision ) of Fiji to recruit a battalion of infantry for the Malayan impaign, has been the expressed esire of members of the Indian immunity to enlist.

Although there is small chance of leir offer being accepted, and al lough it is easy to be cynical on le subject in view of the Indian immunity’s total lack of support of le Allied cause in World War 11, lost European residents of the olony hope that this indicates lat they are now showing the ght and proper spirit.

In his address to the Legislative ouncil at the end of November, the ctmg Governor of Fiji, Mr. A. F. . Stoddart, explained that the ijian’s native background made im particularly suitable for the r pe of fighting required in the [alayan campaign and certainly, ; first, he would be the only one msidered.

The Acting Governor did not say , but it is also a fact that unless le Indians were able to form a lilitary unit, complete in -itself, ieir various religious observances, irticularly in relation to food, ould make their inclusion in a ijian unit difficult. The inclusion : Indian units in the Fiji Military orces has previously foundered on lis rock of religion. Nor have re mits been amenable to military iscipline.

Vew Indian Commissioner

CONCURRENT with this recent j expression of belated, but wel come, Indian loyalty, it has Jen announced that a new Com lissioner for India has been ap finted.

The position has been vacant for year or more, since the departure : the first Commissioner, Mr. S, . Waiz. The new Commissioner is [r. A. K. Sen, who was expected to :rive in Fiji about the middle of lis month.

The appointment of Mr. Waiz was iade soon after India was granted [dependence in 1948 and at first tused some resentment in non idian circles as the great majority • Fiji Indians are not citizens of idia, but are Fiji-bom.

However, Ml’. Waiz was a man of itelligence, justice and sound com lonsense and became well-liked by uropeans, official and otherwise, nd did not do any of the things lat Fiji’s Indian political busy adies hoped that he would do.

When he left Fiji, he dropped a ombshell into the middle of the idian community—which had been lught by its leaders to demand ither than to serve—by telling

them that their allegiance should be to Fiji first; that they should be prepared to serve it in peace and defend it, if necessary, in war.

He said, particularly, that when, or if, he returned, he hoped to see a “Private Patel” or a “Sergeant Sharma” in the FMF and made it clear that he thought little of their non-co-operation during the Pacific war.

There was no reply to this advice on the part of Indian leaders, but most residents of the Colony agree that the friction between Indian and other sections in Fiji has les sened in the past year and that there have been signs of a con sciousness that the welfare of Fiji as a whole is important, and that it is not simply a sponge to be wrung out for the benefit of the Indian community.

It may be that outspokenness is the medicine needed. The last Governor, Sir Brian Freeston, did not mince words when dealing with the Indians, apparently with salu tary effect. Previously it had been the custom to handle the “Indian problem” with kid gloves.

If the new Commissioner carries on the good work started by Mr.

Waiz, he can do a tremendous amount for Anglo-Indian relations in Fiji.

Recruiting For Malaya

MEANWHILE, recruiting for the Fijian Battalion for Malaya has gone on in Fiji. An Army instructor from Malaya has arrived to advise on training.

The difficulty has been not to get suitable men but to keep them away.

Thousands of young Fijians have clamoured to join up.

Quotas have now been filled from all districts and it is expected that they will sail for Malaya in January and do jungle training there.

It has been announced that Lieut.-Colonel R. A. Tinker, MC, MM, a NZ permanent army officer and World War II veteran, will command the battalion. Other officers have yet to be chosen.

Col. Tinker went to the Middle East in 1939 as a driver. He won the Military Medal and rapid pro motion in the desert, became a parachutist and was dropped into Yugoslavia where he fought with the partisans. He has been in Fiji with the FMF since 1949.