Good work, Tukai
Steven Singh, Sydney, Australia
I am an avid reader of the Fiji Sun and always look forward to the letters to the editor column.
I would like to commend Tukai Lagonilakeba of Namaka for always writing great letters.
He covers almost all aspects of current affairs and his views are positive for the country and the well being of fellow Fijians.
Keep up the good work Tukai.
‘Less of Us Is More of Him’
Josaia Rayawa, Savusavu
On Friday night I dropped by the Total Service station at Lami Town and there was this young girl of say around 10 years old selling roti and curry parcels at 10pm.
I cautioned her that she ought not be around as late as she was and selling roti parcels on her own. I was told by the taxi driver that girls or boys are doing that more often in the main centres. (Taxi drivers are first-hand source of the kind of ‘shit’ that happens when the sun goes down. Excuse the use of the word here).
Whether these are little scams or genuine efforts to make a buck, it still remains a real concern when there are children involved, especially when it is 10pm.
I don’t know the full solution as I’m led to believe it is bigger than it looks, but on this occasion, service station providers must do their part as well by calling social services to report the matter and not just palm it off with a comment like, “Oh these brats come around all the time”.
They must be from somewhere close by because there were four children hanging around in the background.
Let’s not resolve the issue in our minds with what we want done to the irresponsible parents. Yes we all know it is their fault already, if a child is out there alone. It’s what we can do at the moment.
I think this is where the community at large ought to play a starting role. If the general public are buying things from these kids, because we feel ‘sorry’ for them or we just want them out of our hair, or simply turn a blind eye, then the public are just as irresponsible as the irresponsible parents or adults responsible for these unruly children.
I know things are changing in Fiji with values, etc and with the many influences competing for one’s attention, but I still like to believe there is still goodness and genuine concern that exist in our communities to ‘step in the gap’.
It’s not always the job of Government to bail us out of our social woes. I mean you only have to look at the rest of the world and the many examples of total reliance on governments, to realise that it cannot work.
We, as a community, become ineffective in our role when we just don’t do our part and the Gospel of Jesus Christ only become a preaching point to many out there rather than a point of difference in their lives, because as far as they are concerned they do not see ‘Christ’ in our works. Why can’t church groups do more? This is a reminder of the Spiritual Paradox that “Less of us is More of Him”.
This paradox may just help us see the most immediate needs in our community better.
Understanding loans
Simon Hazelman, Savusavu
In the business section of the Fiji Sun (23/04) Peter Fuata of HFC Bank gives us an analysis of how to understand loans!
Mr Fuata took up half a page to do that! I have just one sentence!
When you take a loan you are in-debt and when you are in debt you become a slave to the provider of the loan!
It is as simple as that!
Boss mentality
Savenaca Vakaliwaliwa, Canada
To me, the fact that a national survey conducted by the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre found that three in five women believe that a ‘good wife’ should obey her husband, and that disobedience was seen by one in four women as a good reason for a man to hit his wife/partner, means that we will continue to have violence against women.
With all the laws and warnings, even from the Prime Minister; it is sad that Fijians still have the misinterpreted Bible teaching that at marriage, the man is the boss and whatever he does to his wife/partner is none of our business.
In this day and age, this boss mentality has to change – both in men and women.
For Christian men, the Bible reminds us to love our wives, partners, and children as Christ loves us and gave His life for His people, His church.
The married woman should also love her husband/partner but should report domestic violence to the Police.
To us men, God has appointed each of us to be the head of our own families, but this boss mentality does not include violence against the woman whom you vowed to God and all present during marriage to love and cherish ‘until death do us part’.
Yasawa norm
Tukai Lagonilakeba, Nadi
I called my Tavale the Turaga Tui Naviti a few days after TC Winston had past to check and ask if all was well at Soso Village in Naviti.
His reply was: “Io tavale, o keimami mai Yasawa e sa matau tu na kana Cagilaba e na vei yabaki sa oti yani kei na kena e se bera mai” meaning – “yes we survived and we are used to being hit by hurricanes year in and year out , we are accustomed to such wrath.”
He also mentioned that for first timers it will be difficult for them, but the most important thing was to be prepared and plant crops in a mature and responsible manner anticipating that it can sustain cyclones.
Cyclones, the rise in sea level, being battered by huge waves and coastal battering has become a norm; it is a way of life for our relatives in the Yasawas similar to those in Nadi through the many massive floods that sweep through the district every year.
It is now an acceptance because there is no choice but to be prepared.
There are so many committees being put up in Nadi to mitigate and find ways to lessen the impact of flooding in the Nadi basin.
We hear a lot of too much talk and reasoning from highly qualified professionals and stakeholders from the Nadi community, but I haven’t witnessed any action and yet they are still talking.
Climate Change is real; it is through our arrogance, our blatant disregard and irresponsible disrespectful abuse of our biodiversity and environment.
When are we going to learn?
Replacing power lines
Sukha Singh, Labasa
Hasmukh Patel, the chief executive of the Fiji Electricity Authority (FEA) said on the Aina programme that underground cables and overhead lines have to be replaced after a certain number of years.
I think he must have meant when a cable exceeds it load carrying capacity than it should be changed. For a place like Fiji if you have a lead covered cable and your joints are water tight they can last forever.
In 1974 a cable joining expert told me it is very hard to make plastic covered cables water tight. I am not sure if the technology has come up with some glue that can make plastic cables as water tight as lead cables.
Disillusioned
Amenatave Yaconisau, Suva
All people who preach the removal of any Opposition party come election 2018 must realise that the Constitution mandates political rights (section 23).
The President will also dissolve this Government after three years and six months from the day of its first meeting according to section 58(3) of the Constitution.
If they feel strongly for the good performance of a certain party then there is a procedure for amendment under the Constitution (section 160) where they can remove the rights of people to form parties and differ. This will only degrade the rights of people of this country and is unjust.
This is democracy (pluralistic society) not a totalitarian government where you shove things down people’s throats.
Meanwhile, I congratulate Mahendra Ved on his appointment as the new President of Commonwealth Journalists (FS 19/4/16).
I agree with him that there is no democracy without journalism but newspapers must also observe the rules of fairness, and the right of people to reply to articles (no editorial bias), and more so to be sensitive to religious and cultural values.
I wish him well as defender of truth and justice.