Bringing Brij Home – Dr Padma Lal

The wife of the late Professor Brij Lal, Dr Padma Lal says she received a call on the evening of Christmas Eve from the Fiji High Commission in Australia advising her the newly elected People's Alliance-NFP-SODELPA Government had decided to lift the travel ban that had prevented Professor Brij Lal and her return to Fiji since 2009.

Dr Lal says she was shocked to receive such a call, it took her a few moments to collect herself to even say thank you and then think about what it meant for her, her immediate and extended family to be able to fulfil Professor Lal’s wishes and take him home to Tabia, near Labasa.

She says while she had hoped for this for a long time, she didn’t expect it to happen so soon after the swearing in of the new Government on the afternoon of 24th December.

Dr Lal also says from the people close to the new Government, she gathered this was the first Executive Directive given by the new Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka following his consultation with two of his Deputy PMs, Professor Biman Prasad and Viliame Gavoka.

She adds the lifting of this ban fulfils a promise that Rabuka had made to her in Auckland in September this year at the funeral of the late Jai Ram Reddy.

Dr Lal further says she spent much of the Christmas week with her children, grandchildren and some members of her extended family, reflecting on the year that had passed, remembering Professor Lal, and preparing herself for the 25th December, the first anniversary of his passing.

She says in some respects, the year has flown past and in others, it seems like just yesterday that Professor Lal and she were sitting on their balcony watching the sunrise while drinking coffee and talking about anything and everything.

Dr Lal says if he had been there, the one topic that would have dominated their discussions would have been the Fijian elections.

She adds instead, she was left to think about what Professor Lal would have said, sharing these with the children.

The Lal family is deeply touched and grateful to the Fiji Government for this action and are truly humbled at the speed and priority placed on lifting this ban, coinciding with the first anniversary of Professor Lal’s passing.

Dr Lal says the timing of this gesture is not lost and it’s difficult to put into words what this means.

She also says this message enabled the family to mark the anniversary, even if with mixed emotions, but with renewed hopes, not just for them, but for the whole of Fiji.

Dr Lal further says they also celebrate the restoration of democracy in Fiji, the rule of law and the right to freedom of expression, amongst other things that were so dear to Professor Lal.

She adds they have renewed hope for the upholding of their core principles and collaboration across the Fiji community to restore democracy, rule of law and freedom of speech, amongst other values to realise their earlier dream of Fiji, the way the world should be.

She says they have commenced planning for their return to Fiji with and will advise the new Government and the people of Fiji of dates once confirmed.