While Fiji celebrates 52 years of independence this year, the country’s civilisation dates back over 3000 years. This was reiterated by prominent University of the South Pacific (USP) Professor Vijay Naidu.
Speaking at a flag raising ceremony in commemoration of Fiji Day at the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) office in Suva last week, Prof Naidu highlighted the history of Fiji that was often forgotten and was often termed as a period of “darkness”.
“If you talk like that, you denigrate your own ancestors and when Abel Tasman sailed through Fiji waters, the demographers noted that Fiji’s indigenous population numbered about 400,000 to 500,000,” he said.
“By the time the first census was taken in the 20th century, Fiji’s population had tumbled down to about 84,000 and this was the impact of diseases that came from Europe particularly and from Asia and use of muskets, rifles and alcohol.”
FWCC coordinator Shamima Ali also noted the need for the younger generation to be well-versed with the rich history that Fiji had.
“I’ve got a very young lot here, the coups have passed them by and a lot of them are keyboard warriors so they’re on the internet all the time,” she said.
“I thought this was a good opportunity to have it today and for them to hear from Prof Naidu who has had years of experience teaching all of this and he’s very committed to Fiji.
“I thought it’s a good time for us to learn, also for us to reflect on what is happening right now in the country and how we can get involved. This is part of our lives.”
