Letters to the Editor: Saturday, October 17, 2020

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Major Tevita Biudole leads the RFMF first armed detachment during Fiji’s 50th independence anniversary celebration at Albert Park in Suva. Picture: SOPHIE RALULU

Celebration instils pride for Fijians

How lovely it was to view the pictures of the RFMF personnel, police officers, military officers and Fiji Navy officers lined up in their official attire for Fiji’s 50th Independence Day celebration at Albert Park in Suva.

Those pictures instilled more pride for Fijians. Thank you Sophie Ralulu for those wonderful shots. I am sure it was a celebration in an ecstatic way, one that will be reminisced in future until we get to the century level. Finally, we have gone past the celebration that had so much hype and now it’s back to business as usual in the “new normal”.

I hope we always are able to attain this pride for our country. It is very sad that some people are very negative and did not see any merit in the 50th Fiji Day celebration because of the pandemic and political upheaval.

We are aware of the hardship that everyone is facing at the present stage, however, letting that dampen our spirit and pride for our country is not fair.

With all green and good, everything always looks cozy but to give that recognition to our country at its lowest is where you can feel the real emotion of a person for their country. What is the point of praising our country when we are in a healthy situation and criticise the same country because things are not all rosy?

How unfair. We thank all those who were involved in making the 50th big bash a memorable one. Thanks to the Suva Retailers Association for the Suva on Sale and making the place livelier with decorations and other activities. Congratulations to those who won the best decorations award.

The Prime Minister was seen making a round of the city, thanks to him as well but let’s hope that can be an ongoing thing. Let’s hope our country will bounce back to normal which we know is a long way to go but we will get there together. Yes, we will.

Do not lose hope and no, the light at the end of the tunnel is not battery operated, it will only be detected when the right time comes.

Blessed day to all. KIRTI PATEL Lautoka

 

FTU AGM 2020

Today members of the Fiji Teachers Union will converge at the Rishikul College to attend the Fiji Teachers Union annual general meeting which was postponed in May because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The FTU has a strong foundation and rich history — something that today’s members should be proud of. Apart from addressing industrial relations issues, FTU has kept the welfare of its members intact with its credit union and the medical benefit scheme.

It has also reached the needy children and schools who have been affected by natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic and I thank the union for standing by its motto “The Child Our Hope”. The assistance provided to the community at the height of Severe TC Winston and COVID-19 will be remembered.

Wishing the national president Muniappa Goundar, the general secretary Agni Deo Singh and the membership all the best for today’s AGM.

Long live FTU! RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM Nadawa, Nasinu

 

Airline issue

On one hand the PM Voreqe Bainimarama says that they are putting people back in jobs they love and then yesterday, (FT 16/10) he says he won’t get involved in the Fiji Airways issue.

Come on Mr PM you are in charge of things in Fiji, people depend on you to get things going and setting things right.

How can you not see the plight of the flight attendants? I am saddened by your quotes. SUNIL KUMAR Lautoka

 

Fiji ban

Dr Brij Lal and his wife’s ban from returning to their homeland is not consistent with the lyrics of Fiji’s national anthem: “A land of freedom, hope and glory, to endure what ever befalls”.

MOHAMMED IMRAZ JANIF Natabua, Lautoka

 

NFP leader

The leader of NFP wants the PM to intervene in the hiring and re-hiring of staff members by Fiji Airways.

A few points to make: 1. Should the PM limit his intervention to Fiji Airways or should he intervene in all the other statutory bodies?

2. I thought Fiji Airways was a lost cause according to the leader of NFP.

3. What happened to his review of the financial reports of Fiji Airways for the past 10 years, we all are waiting for your report for months now? JAN NISSAR Carlton, NSW, Australia

 

Containing COVID

Thank you to the Minister for Health Dr Waqainabete and team for the work on containing COVID and looking after those in isolation (FT16/10).

Many medical and military staff members had to stay away from loved ones for long periods of time and that’s a huge sacrifice in keeping their families and the people of Fiji safe.

A big vinaka vakalevu to you all. Even though we have no COVID cases, we still need to be vigilant. I hope the curfew will soon be lifted.

May I suggest that when it is lifted, we have more police patrols in towns.

The beat patrol will augur well for the police officers. ALLEN LOCKINGTON Kava Place, Lautoka

 

Post Fiji Day

Now that it’s all over and done with I wouldn’t care how much was spent but, how much was wasted from the taxpayers coffers that could have been better used for children schooling in tents, safe drinking water for communities, seawalls, citizens affected from this year’s cyclone and many other helpful things that could better the lives of Fijians? AREKI DAWAI Suva

 

Watchdog role

I agree with Allen Lockington that the brave young girl Lewa Kuriako deserves our salute for having the courage to stand up and tell the truth about alleged police brutality in the case of Mesake Sinu (FT 16/10).

I also salute The Fiji Times for fulfilling its public watchdog duty by its coverage of the case. RAJEND NAIDU Sydney, Australia

 

A rare national gem

I applaud the effort of the committee in recognising and awarding the Independence Day medal to Mahendra Chaudhry for his contributions to our country.

Unequivocally, I believe that Mr Chaudhry’s rise from his days as a trade unionist then taking the political foray right back from the 1980s and being also an active contributor to discussions on national issues is a strong testimony for the award.

A man of Mr Chaudhry’s intellect is surely a national asset. His ability to elucidate very eloquently and provide alternative solutions to issues affecting each one of us is worth noting.

This is evident in his regular contributions to The Fiji Times. Unfortunately, he has been a victim of coups in the past and one only wonders if he had been given the time to complete his term in office. Although being a veteran politician, I would still rate him as one of the best politicians among the rest.

Thank you Mr Chaudhry for rendering your incalculable services to Fiji. PRANIL RAM Votualevu, Nadi

 

Betrayal of citizenry

I have a theory that the average person in Fiji is so tired of being disregarded in governance policy considerations that a sense of accepting rather then questioning has now become the norm. The FijiFirst governance standards is widely perceived as FijiFirst-centric that a lethargy and thinking of “why even bother to question” has crept into peoples’ psyche.

At its most basic level, despite all the sophistry, this is a betrayal of the citizenry entrusting power to their government to “govern wisely” on their behalf, a core tenet of democracy.

One does not have to look far to see evidence of a system haphazardly functioning : the abuse of Parliamentary Standing Order 51, the forever (longevity and long) traffic snarls on our roads during peak periods and the question: has there been any attempt at all to find a solution let alone an implementation?

Then there is the recently opened Nakasi to Nausori four-laned road with a fenced-off and flowered median strip.

Did anyone on the design team or even Government officials ever question this arrangement?

Even to an ordinary-Joe, the idea of huge maintainability costs during the lifetime of that section will surely arise let alone facility; the facility to use this stretch of road to the convenience of the public, both pedestrian and vehicular.

Why couldn’t it be just zoned-out and if there is an attempt in the future to commandeer and use lanes during peak periods to alleviate traffic jam, then this zoned-out region will come in handy. Moreover there is continual maintenance work going on either on both sides or at least on one side.

The workers pinch-off half a lane using pink cones to keep traffic away from them and they do this for about 50–70m of the road which then becomes a bottleneck. So at any one time, there is always a bottleneck on this stretch and if it happens to be busy such as on Friday afternoon, then traffic starts to backup from as far as the Nasinu Forestry Department location.

It begs the question why have a four-laned roadway to facilitate road usage only to adopt practices to shoot ourselves in the foot? As it is, the median strip represents an inconvenience for all road users and should be removed.

Just imagine if we had a leader in the same vein as the leader of the free world, Donald J Trump, whose decisions, I believe, are mostly predicated on “what’s best for Americans” and not what’s best for the Republican Party.

Then it will truly be “The way the world should be”, again! MAREKO VULI Wainibuku Rd, Nakasi

 

 

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