A salute to an astute Nation

To an outsider wearing the bifocals of the Western media or a beholder jaundiced by prejudice and preconceived notion, the Republic of Fiji will always appear warped with an admixture of political eccentricity and social exigency.

But those with normal visual acuity will perceive the country as one with a chequered past and a benignant present working towards a halcyon future, with a commitment to equity and equality at the core of its polity.

For years, this South Pacific country of 330 islands has been an enigma even to the most persistent travellers, historians and writers, with political hurricanes hitting the shores with the same ferocity as their natural counterparts. Like the cyclones that submerge villages, towns and cities for a while from time to time, coups and political dramas have traumatised natives and foreigners alike, leaving them to wonder if a day would dawn to steer the country towards a better future.

For all the rhetoric spoken and written by political and media leaders, there has never been a fair representation of facts, especially since December 5, 2006, when Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama took over the reins of the administration to find a new road to prosperity. The country has been subject to summary dismissal without a just course to defend itself, discard without discussion and adjudication without trial. Of course, there have been aberrations from this side as well.

Is Fiji a banana republic as some newspapers have audaciously claimed or is it a country that is disparate to shake out of its unjust past? Are its people subject to the tyranny of a dictator or are they his friends in a common lot? Is this a Nation replete with armed guards or is there an omnipresence of peace and normalcy?

Indian Newslink decided to find out and a seven-day trip to one of the pristine countries of the world brought out some startling facts. The result is this Special Report, which we dedicate to Fiji and her people.

From interviews with leaders who run the nation, businesses that steer the economy and ordinary people who maintain the heartbeat, we found Fiji on the move. The following pages will tell you how myopic or hyperopic many of us are to have a distorted view of a country and its people.

We are grateful to our contributors, advertisers, readers and most important of all, those well-wishers who made our visit possible.

As we present this Special Report for you to read and react, we salute a nation of astute people and wish them peace and prosperity. No one deserves these more than them, for they have been in the denial mode since long.