Love knows no barrier, as our front page story reminds us. A man will go to great lengths for love, and few stories capture that truth as vividly as the journey of Navneel Sen.
He walked more than three kilometres in torrential rain and swam across floodwaters three times just to reach the woman who had captured his heart, Filomena Diyasa.
Such determination is rare, yet it tells us something timeless about the human spirit. When love calls, obstacles become mere details.
Early this week, the couple were officially engaged at Kelikoso Village, Macuata, in a true iTaukei ceremony known as ilakovi.
It was a moment sealed not only by tradition, but by seven years of steady friendship, patient waiting and a commitment that neither distance nor culture could weaken.
Their story began in the most modern of ways, on Facebook. Seven years ago, while Filo was studying in Suva, she and Navneel discovered they not only shared interests but unknowingly lived in the same district of Nubu. Within three months, their online conversations blossomed into romance. Yet they were in no rush. They allowed time to deepen their bond, choosing understanding over speed, patience over pressure.
This year, Navneel, a Nabutubutu farmer, decided it was time to make their future official.
“I knew Filo was the one for me because she is beautiful inside and out, always caring, polite and loyal,” he said. “We spent seven years just getting to know each other. There were ups and downs along the way, but we remained faithful. We knew the time was right to take our friendship to another level.”
What stands out about their union is not just the romance, but what it represents. Theirs is a story that transcends ethnic lines, reminding us that love can weave together families, cultures and values. In asking for Filo’s hand in marriage, Navneel honoured her heritage with sincerity and humility, presenting six tabua (whale’s tooth) to her family. It was a gesture that spoke of respect, and his commitment to honouring iTaukei customs.
Filo remembers the moment her parents truly took him in. “He first came home a few months after we started seeing each other. He presented yaqona to tell my parents that we were dating. Many iTaukei boys don’t even do that. My parents were impressed and have treated him like their own son.”
In that acceptance lies the quiet beauty of Fiji’s multicultural fabric. When respect is offered, it is returned with warmth.
That same theme of perseverance and heritage echoes in another story featured today, one not of romance, but of grit and generational endurance.
On April 11, 1913, an Indian couple left Uttar Pradesh, crossing the kala pani to Fiji as part of the girmitiya labour system.
Among the 60,000 brought here to work on cotton and sugar plantations, they endured hardship, separation, and uncertainty. Yet they built a life together in the South Seas, laying a foundation stronger than they could ever have imagined.
More than a century later, their grandson, the outspoken Rakiraki businessman and former government minister George Shiu Raj, stands as a testament to their sacrifice. A self-made millionaire, Raj worked hard, 16 hours a day, every day, to carve out his own destiny while honouring the legacy of those who came before him.
These two stories, one of love crossing cultures, the other of perseverance spanning generations, share a common truth. Whether it is a young man swimming through floodwaters for the woman he loves or a girmitiya descendant rising through tireless effort, they remind us that commitment, resilience and respect remain the cornerstones of human progress.
In the end, what binds us is not where we come from, but what we are willing to strive for. Love, hard work and shared humanity continue to shape Fiji’s story!
