A Christian Fijian cabinet Minister is under fire for referring to Indians as weeds who are spreading all over the globe and taking up space. It was not clear whether the Minister had in mind that they should be eliminated since they are weeds.
Adi Asenaca Caucau, Minister of Women, Social Affairs and Culture, in a speech in parliament, said "Indians are like wild weeds taking up space around the globe".
Caucau is the daughter of a Methodist Priest and she often leads her church in service in the role of a religious Minister. Caucau made no distinction between Indians who are Hindus, Muslims or Christians. She placed all Indians in the same category.
Caucau's racist and blatantly provocative comment has drawn fire from across the nation but not by her cabinet colleagues who have given her tacit support for the gutter comment. In fact, when the opposition members of parliament demanded an apology during a parliamentary sitting, the government M.Ps uttered additional racist remarks about Indians in their native Fijian language and dialects.
In Fiji, people vote race. Ethnic Fijians slightly outnumber Indians. Indians were a majority of the population when they won the 1987 elections but the government was toppled by the Melanesian Ethnic Fijians after a month in office and replaced by a dictatorship which governed until democratic elections in 1999 when Indians were re-elected. Mahendra Chaudhry became the Prime Minister of a multi-racial cabinet that had a majority of Ethnic Fijians but the government was again toppled by the Ethnics after a year in office. Indians account for 24 seats in the 71 member parliament. In elections held last year, the Indian votes were split between two Indian parties resulting in the Indians obtaining 8 less seats. Three Ethnic Fijians support the Indian Fiji Labor Party and there are three other M.Ps of Mixed races who sit in opposition to the racist government.
When asked to apologize by the media and the Indian opposition party, Caucau refused saying she truly believes what she said. Caucau insists that Indians are like wild grass and said there is nothing offensive about her remark. "I am simply stating a fact and it was not meant to be racist", she is reported to have said.
Various organizations and the public has requested that the government issue a statement that Caucau's view is not the view of the government but the Prime Minister has refused to acquiesce to the request and said he has left the matter in the hands of the Speaker of the House and Caucau. The Speaker is a former Army General who refused to reverse the 1987 military coup.
Former dictator, Sitiveni Rabuka, who served as Prime Minister from 1987 to 1999 after leading the 1987 military coup that ousted the democratically-elected Indian government, condemned the Minister's remark and called on her to apologize to the Indians. He also called on current Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, to discipline the Minister. He said: "Caucau's statements were irresponsible and unbecoming especially from a woman who prays before making a statement".
Some Christians in the media said
the Minister's comments were un-Christian-like but no priest has condemned
or rebuked the minister. In Fiji, the Methodist is known to promote racist
attacks against Indians regardless of religious affiliation. Fijian
Indians who are Christians are shocked that a Methodist Minister would
make such a vile remark.