GCC and Fijians

GREAT COUNCIL OF CHIEFS & THE FIJIANS

A blogger writes...

It appears that whenever the indigenous cry out for what is their's, the rest label it an obstacle to progress/modernization/civilty.

The Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) are the voice of the Fiji landowners, the Fiji Indigenous people in whatever ruling body of the nation.

This heritage from the Fijian Chiefs that ensured this, cemented the indigenous rights to the governing of their land, their country and it consequences on their culture and future generations.

To hear that the illegal AG Kaiyum was quoted in Brussels as saying to the EU that "the GCC needed to be abolished because it served no purpose in the ruling of the nation", makes me very angry and sad. More sad then anything.

The anger stems from my deeply rooted cultural pride in my origins.The sadness, from the ignorance of a non-indigenous abolishing the most powerful traditional ruling body of my land, in front of a direct ancestor of one of the greatest indigenous leaders of our country.

That this was said in front of Epeli Nailatikau(not a ratu in my eyes) depicts a sad picture of the deep divide in our nation.Not just the racial divide between Indians and Fijians - a concept that has been raped and plundered by politicians from each side for their own personal benefit to no advantage to us the ordinary citiszens.

I'm referring to the invisible victims of this divide - the seemingly growing rift amongst the Indigenous Fijians.

Fijian culture is unique in the world, nowhere do you find a culture that is as rich and diverse as that of the indigenous Fijian culture.

It's many dialects is the best example of it's diversity, a diversity that was rightfully respected by the colonists. This very diversity meant that a group of leaders and advisors were required for the indigenous body to rule or be ruled harmoniously. It is my belief that this very reason is why the Bose Levu Vakaturaga needs to exist to be the voice of our indigenous people.

The Fijian's cultural perception of the pros and cons of the GCC has always been around, since I can remember. The fact that people were entitled to their own opinions of the greatest indigenous body without reprisal showed the democracy we had...then!

It appears that now, as a result of the racial influence on the perceptions of the GCC and it's need to exist, the indigenous Fijian is now going through a historic phase in its traditional history.No where in Fiji history has it's Great Council of Chiefs been publicly slated.

No where in it's short history has anyone been allowed to degrade this Council as much as this illegal regime has.With the Illegal Military regime publicly stating that they will abolish this Great Council and raking up support from various corners of the nation, the indigenous Fijian is now hard pressed to make a stand.

Either stand to protect their culture, their heritage and future representation in any governing body; or abolish this council because it stands in the way of the illegal military regime.There is really no other choice left for the indigenous Fijian.

And no other reason, no matter what vesumona the illegal military regime try to say regarding their reasons for abolishing the GCC, it's simply because the Great Council of Chiefs has acknowledged that the military regime is illegal and that this country should not be ruled by them.

So will you stand and protect the Great Council of Chiefs; or let people like Kaiyum, Chaudhry, Voreqe, Nailatikau, Epeli Ganilau take your traditional values apart and throw it back in the face of your ancestors.