30 Jul 2002

Fiji government minister tells Indians to turn to cane farming

8:45 am on 30 July 2002

A Fiji government minister has told Indo-Fijians to stick to cane farming, or else they could become landless in the country of their citizenship.

The Daily Post reports the comment was made in parliament by the minister of public enterprises, Irami Matairavula.

He has told the House that Indians were brought to Fiji only to work in cane fields.

He said part of te problem Fiji faces today is that Indians are trying to enter other sectors of the economy, even into parliament and even to the helm of leadership of the country.

He said his advice to Indians was for them to move quickly back to the cane fields before they become landless in the country of their citizenship.

Meanwhile, Labour MP, Gyan Singh, said he was tired of listening to some MPs calling Indian vulagis or visitors during parliamentary debates.