FIJI is a land of surprises especially at the national political level with the cycle of democratically elected governments followed by military coups, and military-backed dictatorships. Until 2006 the three previous coups were ethno-nationalist in character with indigenous Fijians, (the Taukei) predominantly supporting the extra-legal overthrow of what were perceived as “Indian dominated” governments.
Something really remarkable and hearteningly positive happened recently in the attitude of the Taukei towards Fijians of Indian descent. This transformation could not be imagined a generation ago, and especially in the province of Rewa, a stronghold of the Fijian Nationalist Party, led by Sakeasi Butadroka. In the mid-1970s Butadroka had called for the repatriation of all ethnic Indian citizens of Fiji to be repatriated to India on British expense.
On May 5, 2017 Ro Teimumu Vuikaba Kepa, the paramount chief of Burebasaga Confederacy, Tui Noco Ratu Isoa Damudamu, other chiefs and the people of Rewa declared the descendants of girmitiya, Indian indentured labourers as their people, calling them Luvedra na Ratu or children of the Ratu. The ceremony of traditional naming is called vakatokayaca.
This historic event was the culmination of a long process of relationship building between Ratu Isoa and Sashi Kiran of FRIEND (Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises & Development).
It began with Ratu Isoa’s deeply felt view that the victims of the Syria wreck of May 11, 1884 buried in the precincts of Naivilaca and Nabudrau villages had become part of the soil of Rewa and therefore they belonged to Rewa.
Ratu Isoa’s grandfather had helped as a youth in the rescue efforts as the Syria transporting Indian indenture labourers to Fiji, grounded on Nasilai reef, was being battered by huge waves. Fifty-nine lives were lost. The dead were buried on land belonging to villages near Nasilai reef including Nabudrau and Naivilaca.
Ratu Isoa shared his sentiments about those migrants buried in Rewa on a number of occasions; commemorating the anniversary of the indentured labour system in Fiji as well as the anniversary of the end of the recruitment of labour in the system, marked on March 23-25, 2017 by the Centennial of Abolition of Indian Indentureship (CCAII), An International Conference at the Girmit Centre, and the University of Fiji, in Lautoka.
Ratu Isoa had said: “As the Ratu, na Turaga na Tui Noco (chief of Noco District) I am proud to foster this newborn relationship and nurture and protect it under my leadership wings and boundaries …”
His open inclusiveness of girmitiya descendants has been in turn embraced by the vanua of Rewa’s paramount chief, Ro Teimumu, and her people.
She said: “Pope Francis implores us to extend hospitality to all so that at the end of the day, we all have a sense of belonging. It is my genuine belief that it is the same spirit of human kindness and God’s love for all of us which will be the hallmark of today’s ceremonies and will govern all our future relationships.”
The ceremony received the blessings of the Methodist Church in Fiji represented by the Noco circuit minister, Reverend Isireli Turaganiqali, who preached on the importance of the parable of the good Samaritan, and its abiding message; good neighbourliness, reaching out to people of other ethnicities, and kindness and love to all.
The belongingness offered by Rewa Province has considerable symbolic, emotional, spiritual, and material significance. All indigenous Fijians and mixed race persons are recognised as belonging to one of three confederacies; Burebasaga, Kubuna and Tovata which encompass Fiji’s 14 provinces.
Fijians of Indian descent live in many of these provinces and are acknowledged as residents, but were not regarded as belonging to the vanua in terms of the indigenous world view. People of a vanua have strong bonds and reciprocal relations. The latter denote more affinity, engagement and identity with indigenous communities.
As Sashi Kiran explains: “We were officially accepted in the vanua of Rewa and our people and our food were accepted in the vanua on Rewa Day. It means that Indian food can be offered as a chiefly food in Rewa.
“Now that the i cavuti has been ceremoniously confirmed, all the confederacies will acknowledge people of Indian descent as having an origin within iTaukei vanua, that of (Bure) Noco, and will relate to each other as they would with anyone from Noco and Rewa.
“Yaqona (kava) or tabua (whale’s tooth ) are presented (as customary), in any traditional ceremony we participate in. We will now be acknowledged as Luvedra na Ratu, na Vunisa na Ratu (which is Tui Noco’s title) Turaga Na Tui Noco.
“We are officially part of the vanua kinship and have the same responsibilities towards the vanua now.”
Professor Steven Ratuva, one of the leading authorities on inter-ethnic relations in Fiji having been informed of the ceremony of acceptance commented: “The gesture by the vanua of Rewa is deeply transformational and significant in the context of Taukei-Indo-Fijian relations and represents a new era in the history of Fiji. We hope that our leaders and our people from both sides will use it as a way to re-frame their world views and how we deal with each other…”
Jone Dakuvula, a prominent civil society leader, and former adviser in the Prime Minister’s Office, said the event reflected the critical importance of respecting indigenous Fijian history and cultural identity in achieving perhaps the most important act of reconciliation the country has seen.
“The iTaukei are reasonable and generous people, when they are shown respect, sensitivity and sincerity on the most sensitive issues like history and cultural identity, they usually reciprocated honourably,” he opined.
“We can see this in the customary acceptance of the descendants of the girmitya by the chiefs of Rewa. A group visited the Tui Noco in the traditional and customary way and thanked him and his people for helping their ancestors in the Syria rescue, the burying of the dead and looking after the survivors until they were taken away.
“This then led to the acceptance of girmitya descendants by the paramount chief, Ro Teimumu Kepa and her people in the historical and cultural narrative of the people of Rewa and were given the identity ‘Luvedra na Ratu’.
“This I believe will rank as one of the most important reconciliation events in the history of this country.”
Padre James Bhagwan in the conclusion of his article on the ceremony of adoption (vakatoka yaca and i cavuti) of girimitya descendants, asked: “As we as a nation continue to move forward in this still young century, are we able to move in God’s grace, which overcomes and transforms fear and suspicion into practical expressions of love for neighbour?”
The profoundly transformational journey in social relationship building and reconciliation began by Ratu Isoa and Ms Kiran require many more fellow travelers of girimitya descent and Taukei to join and sustain in the coming years.
Therefore the identity of Indo-Fijians with their country of birth has been firmly reinforced by the proffered vanua belongingness to Rewa as an expression of love and good neighbourliness, and at the national level the common identity of all citizens of Fiji as Fijians. This dual level of belongingness and identity has given Fijians of Indian descent a new standing among the Taukei. We have a vanua and we belong.
* The author is an academic at Victoria University in Wellington. The views expressed are his and not of this newspaper.
