A big win for Fiji
I salute the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua and the Rooster Chicken Drua and ardent fans for joining hands to drive $108million boost to Fiji’s economy. A large chunk of that economic activity amounting to around $82m was generated mostly through boosts to tourism, increased merchandise sales and higher transport, and retain advertising and media demand. The Fijian Drua boasts the highest sales of its merchandise ranging up to $200 plus and when there is a match here in Fiji, we boast a huge crowd, an array of entertainment, that brings out the best of Fijian magic, and a sea of blue that cheer their hearts out for the Drua. Fans are now looking forward to the matches in Fiji next year, especially the cracker at the 4R Electrical Govind Park in Ba between the Drua and Brumbies. We have some huge and mouth-watering clashes here between the Drua and the big boys in the Pasifika Moana, Hurricanes, Reds, and Waratahs. It’s a pity that Fiji will only host five matches. I was looking forward to us hosting at least seven big matches. The Drua had a miserable season last year, but I’m optimistic come the 2026 season. RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM Balgovind Rd, Nadawa, Nasinu
Youthful exuberance
Kiran, thank you for your letter (FT 31/08). It reminds me so much of the wide-eyed innocence of youth. One of the advantages of youth is your ability to dream. So, don’t limit your future dreams Kiran, instead, dream big and believe that everything is possible for a billion-dollar monopoly called the FNPF, even providing you with a 25 per cent future pension. Let them deny it themselves, don’t be their mouth-piece. Your suggestion we attend the next “FNPF AGM…”, where we can expect to receive a “strong no” answer to the feasibility question, clearly reflects the wonderful, trusting, naivety of youth. Sadly Kiran, we elderly pensioners lost our innocence a long time ago along with any trust and belief we may have had that the FNPF represented us, workers, and would look after our interests in our retirement. We have become cynical with old age. Oh , to be young again ! DANIEL FATIAKI Suva
Global language
“English will get boring.” Reading those words sent by my better half, I went on the defensive and replied: “No Aralai, there is still a lot to explore with the English language. The language is a continuous journey of discovery because of its vastness and complexity.” There is a quote stating that the English language is nobody’s property, it is the property of the imagination. The peculiarities of English continue to fascinate me. Beyond spelling irregularities and silent letters, its beauty lies in its flexibility. Its vocabulary has absorbed words from many languages, making it rich in expression. It is a challenging language with many exceptions and rules that do not always apply. Aralai na watiqu, this is what makes it compelling and we should celebrate the oddities that make the English language what it is over a candlelit mix. WISE MUAVONO Hedstrom Pl, Balawa, Lautoka
Who you fighting for?
Donald Singh says “we have Fijian passports, and we write our nationality as Fijian in our application forms” (FT 2/9). Did that make any difference when Indo-Fijians were scapegoated and suffered political persecution after Sitiveni Rabuka’s military coup in 1987 and the George Speight “civilian” coup of 2000? I am reminded here of Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana’s saying “those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. It is good to know our history. RAJEND NAIDU Sydney, NSW, Australia
Where’s the love and care
In our Fiji of today, there seems to be too many unnecessary soqo that parents and guardians attend to, leaving the children unattended to at home, thus, the freedom to sneak out and get themselves into trouble. Sadly, that’s the fact. Growing up, the mainstream Christian denominations back then were the Methodist, Catholic, Anglican, Assemblies of God, Jehovah’s Witness, Seventh-day Adventist and the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Now, I reckon there’s 50 plus different Christian denominations and contradictingly, the daily troubles that abound in our beloved Fiji are just simply unbelievably unchristian like. Or as one qase fella puts it, “sa levu na lotu, ia na valavala ca e sa qai ko ga gi”. Where’s the love and care? Something’s amiss. ANTHONY SAHAI Levuka, Ovalau
Oscar’s death
To the Kumar family, as a fellow animal lover, my sincere sympathy for the sad loss of Oscar. My heart goes out to you all. I quote the following and this is taken from Duavata News “it has been alleged that police officers have, during the reporting process, suggested he withdraw his complaint, hinting that the suspects might file a counter-report against him.” “Mr Kumar is concerned that the authorities initially downplayed the severity of the incident, especially given the violence involved.” If there is truth to this, then shame on the police officers. A killing is plain and simple, a killing. Unbelievable cruelty, animals have feelings and being “drunk” is not an excuse for anything! Commissioner of Police Rusate Tudravu you have the responsibility of educating your officers urgently in cases such as this. As the great Mahatma Gandhi said “‘the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”. SANYA CATHERINE GAIN Lami
Legal opinion
The Supreme Court judges have given an advisory opinion on the 2013 Constitution. Is the advisory opinion legally binding? Can we hear from constitution law experts. The International Criminal Court gave an advisory opinion on the Israel and Hamas war. The opinion was not legally binding on Israel. RAJ KUMAR Vatuwaqa, Suva
Be specific
In response to PM Sitiveni Rabuka’s statement “that Mr Chaudhary should stop making generalised statements …”, I request the PM to be very specific on what changes he seeks to make in the 2013 Constitution as Mr Chaudhary demands. The Coalition partners and people surrounding the PM certainly would’ve suggested the changes that he is speaking about. It is not enough just to oppose what Mr Chaudhary is saying. Mr Chaudhary uses precise language and PM Rabuka “speaks through a veil”. RAKESH CHAND SHARMA Nadi
Sidekicks of ’87
Can someone give us a list of all the sidekicks from Sitiveni Rabuka’s 1987 military takeover of the democratic government of Dr Timoci Bavadra who are still in his Coalition Government today? Perhaps the newly-installed Minister for Information can do that so that the Fijian public is better informed on how much things have really changed on the political and ideological front in Fiji 38 years later. Or, perhaps the Rabuka fan Dewan Chand can enlighten us. RAJEND NAIDU Sydney, NSW, Australia
Butter price
A man steals eight packets of butter worth $125 to sell and buy food for his baby and because of what the judge calls “the seriousness of the offence” gets 8 months imprisonment (FT 3/9). Who feeds the baby and family now? Who pays for the incarceration? What price justice? CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN Perth, Australia
Protect and serve
Police corruption erodes public trust, perverts’ justice and can allow organised crime to flourish. Fiji deserves a police force that operates with integrity and prioritises the wellbeing of all Fijians. Not contributing to broader societal issues such as increased crime rate due to their illegal and immoral extra curricular activities. Fiji Police Force, the institution that was meant to be a guardian and helper of the people. Instead, it is starting to be seen as one of the most corrupt institutions ever. Sobo! WISE MUAVONO Hedstrom Pl, Balawa, Lautoka
Normalisation, service
It’s not normal
We’ve entered an era where things once considered shocking, taboo, or deeply unsettling have become part of the daily scroll. Rape, murder, theft and drug abuse. These words flash across our screens, echo through our radios, and slip into conversations with a disturbing ease. It’s as if we’ve learned to inhale tragedy like oxygen, like breathing. No pause. No gasp. No outrage. Just another headline, another statistic, another shrug. This is the cost of normalisation. When we hear of a violent assault, we no longer flinch. When a young life is lost to drugs, we mourn briefly, then move on. When corruption is exposed, we nod knowingly, as if it’s just part of the system. These reactions aren’t born of apathy; they’re symptoms of saturation. We’ve been exposed to so much pain, so often, that our emotional reflexes have dulled. But here’s the danger, when we stop reacting, we stop acting. Normalisation doesn’t mean acceptance. It means repetition without reflection. It means injustice becomes background noise. It means we risk losing our collective conscience. In Fiji, where community and culture run deep, we must ask ourselves, are we still listening? Are we still feeling? Are we still fighting for what’s right? Because if we treat violence, abuse, and exploitation as just another part of life, we risk forgetting that they are not. They are not normal. They are not inevitable. And they should never be met with silence. Let’s reclaim our breath. Let’s make space for outrage, for empathy, for action. Let’s remind ourselves and each other that some things should never be normalised. ANTONIO KURUSE Nausori
Poor service
On Friday July 11, I phoned the FRA to report that the streetlights on Sevua Circle, Pacific Harbour were not working the night before and was told that the message would be passed on to the FRA electrical department. I phoned again on Monday and was told the same. I phoned yet again on Wednesday July 16 and this time I was given a complaint number and told that the repair would take 10 working days. I have phoned several times since, and just on September 2, I had been given the name and number of the boss at the electrical department — phoned him the first time and he was on his first day of a 2-week leave — phoned after 2 weeks and explained that I had good reason to believe that I know where the fault is and invited somebody to come and talk about this — no contact has been made. The FRA informs me that the problem is a big one and that they are working on it. All information is passed to me by a very polite and helpful young lady on the FRA switchboard — she would be an asset on any company switchboard — but she is caught in the middle in this dispute. My complaint number is FR59349. Perhaps if somebody at the FRA reads this something might be done? Please? SUE CAUTY Pacific Harbour
