Disparity between poverty levels of Indo Fijians and the iTaukei community could become an issue and it is already coming up now – Prof Kumar

The Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Fiji, Professor Sunil Kumar says the disparity between poverty levels of Indo Fijians and the iTaukei community could become an issue and it is already coming up now in discourses and narratives being raised but he believes that if the government and political outcome is good, then things can be addressed and the lives of Indo Fijians can improve.

While speaking on the discussion on Fiji’s history of indentureship, military coups and attitude towards Indo Fijians organised by the Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre and the Ameena Gafoor Institute, Prof. Kumar says 74.8% of the poverty stricken population are from the iTaukei community and only 22% are Indo Fijian.

He says the lives of Indo Fijians is not too bad but is also not entirely good because there are some pockets of poverty and deprivation which needs to be addressed and he believes with time that will happen.

Professor Kumar says Fiji does have a very good educational infrastructure which is helping in the process but political narratives come in between that can distort a lot of things.

He has also highlighted the Indo Fijian population burst in the 1960s created huge negativity where there were a lot of nasty narratives.

Professor Kumar says the fact of the matter is the Indo Fijians were fortunate because institutions were involved in a lot of education work which resulted in them getting educated and then migrating. He says the 1987 coup also resulted in migration of the Indo Fijians and at the time, religious overtones were also nasty.

Professor Kumar says he is a little bit positive about the political climate now.