Sugar Accusations " Un Racial”

A damaging feature of the recent Fiji sugar dispute was emphasised by Mr. A. I. N. Deoki, Indian elected member for the Southern Division, during the September/October Legco session in Suva.

nnHIS was the impression created JL through loose accusations that every Indian in the Colony, and every Gujerati in particular, was to blame for the trouble.

“The future of the Colony depends on racial harmony, and that harmony must be preserved and maintained at all costs,” Mr. Deoki said. “When you condemn what is happening please level your criticism at the right places and not generally at the Indians,” he said.

Noting that a strong anti- TUr^ o r?pnkf 06 c!npf /Sjl a if 6 were Mr. Deoki S3id th,3t not 3,11 were bad. “It is wrong to judge a whole community by the actions of some”.

Mr. B. D. Lakshman, Indian elected member for the North Western Division, also emphasised the point, “Is it not clear to everybody that when you talk about a ‘stab in the

back’ in 1943 (sugar strike) you should say the name, and not ‘the Indians’. Should you not say ‘A D.

Patel?” Mr. Lakshman said. Were not Indians stabbed in the back?

It would be difficult to deny that some sections of Fiji’s public rela tions down through the years have been conspicuously poor, at Govern ment and at press levels. This was demonstrated by a comment made by a Fijian member, Ratu Penaia Gamlau. The Fijian doesn t quite

"“ctfWe IndtaTommS””

Considering that there have been living side-hv-side with SiSSS? for the nast Sf/vears Ratu fSs statemSf reflects a re grettable state of affairs.

Until very recently there has been n o discernible attempt at Govern ment level to promote better under standing between the two main races in Fiji.