People’s Alliance party leader Sitiveni Rabuka has once again pleaded with Government to bring Professor Brij Vilash Lal’s remains home — where they belong.
During a rally at Labasa last week, Mr Rabuka told residents that the Fijian Government had dismissed all appeals for Professor Lal’s remains to return to Fiji.
Mr Rabuka said Professor Lal’s wife, Padma Lal, had also received the same treatment.
“Professor Lal died in December last year but incredibly Mr Sayed-Khaiyum and Mr Bainimarama continued their vendetta against him and his family,” he said.
“They refused to allow his wife to come to Fiji and deliver Professor Lal’s ashes to Tabia.
“I expressed my contempt and anger at the emotionally brutal treatment of Professor Lal and his wife.” Mr Rabuka said Professor Lal was not allowed to return to Fiji from Australia where he had worked.
“The Government was determined to prevent him from ever walking the streets of Labasa and entering his village of birth, Tabia, where he was brought up.”
Mr Rabuka said Professor Lal achieved professional success as an academic and a teacher.
“He was acknowledged as Fiji’s most accomplished historian.
“He attained another a career milestone when he accepted the appointment of the then leader of Opposition, Mr Jai Ram Reddy of the National Federation Party, to be one of the Commissioners charged with conducting a Constitutional review in 1995.”
Mr Rabuka said Professor Lal and his fellow appointees prepared a monumental report that led to the drafting of the widely acclaimed 1997 Constitution of Fiji.
“This Fijian Government exiled your distinguished professor from Tabia because they did not like something he had said about them.”
