acceptance?

Letters To The Editor

Silence or

Madam, Madan Gopal of Toronto, Canada (PIM-May, 1995) has written a brilliant comparative analysis between the pre vailing racial ideology in both Fiji and Guyana.

The racism that Gopal talks about is reflected through his Fijian student.

However, similar racism is also reflect ed by most of the Indian students. This confirms that in Fiji racial consciousness powerfully shapes social discourses, and assists in the suppression of cross-cultur

al understanding.

What is even more perplexing is the concept of silence that Gopal so elo quently elucidates. Silence is not so much a phenomenon emanating out of racism, it is, of course, a cultural disposition with

in Fiji’s Indian community that, for some reason, believes that being silent will make the problem eventually go away. In fact, silence has added to their oppres sion, placing the whole community at the mercy of the Fijian lords.

It is important to understand that Gopal spoke of official silence which sanctions rather unlawful racism acts.

This silence shall not be confused with the silence that I am attempting to illus trate - the silence of the oppressed.

Incidentally, I happen to speak to a learned Indian gentlemen who claimed that, “As a community we shall have patience and in the end God will assist us.”

This kind of statement, which is becoming prevalent among both the young and old, shows that the communi ty is finally coming to terms with oppression, and no degree of persuasion would make them think otherwise.

Herein lies the evidence that the Indian community in Fiji has turned the other cheek.

Sanjay Ramesh,

Mead Road, Tamavua, Suva.