The Leader of the Opposition Inia Seruiratu using the declining population of the Indo Fijian community and blaming the National Federation Party and the Coalition Government for failing to champion the interests of Indo-Fijians is the most nonsensical and ludicrous claim made by an Opposition Leader for a very long time.
Those are the comments of Deputy Prime Minister and National Federation Party Leader, Professor Biman Prasad after Seruiratu said that since joining the coalition government, Professor Prasad has repeatedly claimed to champion the interests of the Indo-Fijian community, yet the recent school enrolment figures reveal a stark and troubling reality that Indo-Fijian children now make up just one-fifth of Fiji’s school-age population, with early childhood enrolment at an alarming low.
Seruiratu says these figures are not just statistics, they are a reflection of the demographic decline, compounded by low fertility rates and sustained outward migration.
He says what is deeply concerning is that under the stewardship of Professor Prasad and the NFP in government, there is little evidence of meaningful action to reverse this trend.
Seruiratu says the community is shrinking, and with each passing year, the Indo Fijian voice risks being further marginalised.
While responding to the Opposition Leader, the NFP Leader says if Seruiratu studies the population trends in Fiji, he will find out that the growth rate of the Indo Fijian population started declining from 1975 compared to the iTaukei.
Professor Prasad says the declining population primarily due to low birth rate is the reason why there are less Indo Fijian students in early childhood education, primary and secondary schools and tertiary institutions.
He says this has nothing to do with the policies of the coalition government or NFP. Professor Prasad highlighted that the 2007 Census recorded a population of 837,271, with a significant shift in ethnic composition, showing indigenous Fijians becoming the majority (56.8%) over Indo-Fijians (37.5%).
He adds the 2017 Census did not allow disaggregated data because the FijiFirst government said everyone was a Fijian, despite a United Nations Rapporteur’s report emphasising the importance of such data to formulate government policies.
Professor Prasad says the Bainimarama and FijiFirst governments were in power for over 16 years from 6th December 2006 to 23rd December 2022.
He says going by Seruiratu’s claim, does it mean that the FijiFirst government and Seruiraru’s two Godfathers failed to protect the interests of Indo-Fijians resulting in the declining population.
The NFP Leader adds that Seruiratu must be reminded of the biggest insult to the Indo Fijian community under the rule of the Bainimarama and FijiFirst governments.
He says they exiled one of Fiji’s most illustrious sons, Professor Brij Lal, the pre-eminent historian of Girmit and an acclaimed academic, and his wife Dr Padma Lal, from their land of birth.
He says tragically, Professor Lal died in exile on 25th December, 2021.
Professor Prasad says worse, the FijiFirst government did not allow Dr Lal to return to Fiji and inter her husband’s ashes at his birthplace in Tabia, Labasa.
He says it was Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, whose first decision hours after the coalition government took office on 24th December 2022, was to formally write to Dr Padma Lal and inform her that both she and her two children were free to enter Fiji and inter Profesor Lal in Tabia as per his final wish.
The NFP Leader says it was also Prime Minister Rabuka who decided that Fiji must honour and celebrate the legacy of the Girmitiya by declaring a Girmit Day as a public holiday since May 2023.
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