Author: Vishnu Bisram
Publication: Caribbean New Yorker
Date: August 5, 2002
A Christian Fijian cabinet Minister
is under fire for referring to Indians as weeds who are spreading all over
the globe and taking up space. It was not clear whether the Minister
had in mind that they should be eliminated since they are weeds.
Adi Asenaca Caucau, Minister of
Women, Social Affairs and Culture, in a speech in parliament, said "Indians
are like wild weeds taking up space around the globe".
Caucau is the daughter of a Methodist
Priest and she often leads her church in service in the role of a religious
Minister. Caucau made no distinction between Indians who are Hindus,
Muslims or Christians. She placed all Indians in the same category.
Caucau's racist and blatantly provocative
comment has drawn fire from across the nation but not by her cabinet colleagues
who have given her tacit support for the gutter comment. In fact,
when the opposition members of parliament demanded an apology during a
parliamentary sitting, the government M.Ps uttered additional racist remarks
about Indians in their native Fijian language and dialects.
In Fiji, people vote race.
Ethnic Fijians slightly outnumber Indians. Indians were a majority
of the population when they won the 1987 elections but the government was
toppled by the Melanesian Ethnic Fijians after a month in office and replaced
by a dictatorship which governed until democratic elections in 1999 when
Indians were re-elected. Mahendra Chaudhry became the Prime Minister
of a multi-racial cabinet that had a majority of Ethnic Fijians but the
government was again toppled by the Ethnics after a year in office. Indians
account for 24 seats in the 71 member parliament. In elections held
last year, the Indian votes were split between two Indian parties resulting
in the Indians obtaining 8 less seats. Three Ethnic Fijians support
the Indian Fiji Labor Party and there are three other M.Ps of Mixed races
who sit in opposition to the racist government.
When asked to apologize by the media
and the Indian opposition party, Caucau refused saying she truly believes
what she said. Caucau insists that Indians are like wild grass and
said there is nothing offensive about her remark. "I am simply stating
a fact and it was not meant to be racist", she is reported to have said.
Various organizations and the public
has requested that the government issue a statement that Caucau's view
is not the view of the government but the Prime Minister has refused to
acquiesce to the request and said he has left the matter in the hands of
the Speaker of the House and Caucau. The Speaker is a former Army
General who refused to reverse the 1987 military coup.
Former dictator, Sitiveni Rabuka,
who served as Prime Minister from 1987 to 1999 after leading the 1987 military
coup that ousted the democratically-elected Indian government, condemned
the Minister's remark and called on her to apologize to the Indians.
He also called on current Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, to discipline
the Minister. He said: "Caucau's statements were irresponsible and unbecoming
especially from a woman who prays before making a statement".
Some Christians in the media said
the Minister's comments were un-Christian-like but no priest has condemned
or rebuked the minister. In Fiji, the Methodist is known to promote racist
attacks against Indians regardless of religious affiliation. Fijian
Indians who are Christians are shocked that a Methodist Minister would
make such a vile remark.
