Posted: May, 2000 - By Amon HotepThe Insurrection in Fiji
Dialogue
From: A BBC Chat session
Britain has it's role in Fijian historyJayne Stevens 2 - 11:50am Tue 23 May 2000
Britain has it's role in Fijian history but has had vitually no influence for at least three decades.We must support the people of Fiji but I do not feel we can be held responsible for the current unrest anymore than the Romans can be held responsible for our May Day riots!Ayinde - 05:22am Wed 24 May 2000
All of the European powers are responsible for all of the World's conflicts. This is what happens when people are forced to live together. The people who are fighting today, though they are ignorant of many facts about their situation, had their problems compounded by the greed of Europeans who had no interest in their cultural values, which is the means by which people view their environment. The European greed blinded them to the dangers of forcing people with conflicting value/social systems to live in close relations and to compete for limited resources. Most of these different peoples had their languages and social structure shattered. Most people were 'forced' to adopt the European value system. They lost their way.No people can live in peace under the European value system. The European value system rewards greed. This system leaves too many at the bottom competing for too little resources. A careful examination of historical facts would show that most of the non-Europeans who are engaged in conflicts had far loftier value systems even with their shortcomings. Look what they do/did for oil in the (Middle East) NORTHERN AFRICA, tea in Sir-Lanka to sugar cane in the Caribbean. Not even Europeans could live with each other under their ways. If it is not Britain and Ireland, it is Israel and Lebanon etc. WHERE HAS THERE EVER BEEN AN EXAMPLE OF LONG-TERM PEACE UNDER EUROPEAN DOMINATION?
lollo - 02:02pm Wed 24 May 2000
Hotep, you're spot on a true x ray of the problems third world nations face why condemn speight if all he's doing is taking back his country from the tyranny of the indians no people likes to be subjugated by another especially IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY(see south afirca and ireland) that is why i fully support mr speight and if new delhi is concerned then it can make provisions to resc ue its people from fiji and resettle them in india!!! i fear its only a matter of time that a similar situation will be played out in trinidad and tobago again indians forming large percent of the population AND GUESSY GUESSY WHO BROUGHT THEM THERE ???? NO PRIZES YOU ALL KNOW BY NOW!!!!!Ayinde - 09:05pm Wed 24 May 2000
The problems are already here in Trinidad & Tobago. There are racial accusations on all sides. The problem is exacerbated by the conduct of the first Indian Prime Minister who is unable to relate to the other ethnic groups in the country. He speaks of National Unity but all his actions to date are destined towards maintaining his tribal Indian support for political control. Most African and some Indians, who are continually being embarrassed by his conduct, cannot wait for him to leave office. The opposition is not better. With their constant tokenisms towards the Indian community, trying to get their support in their largely African based political party, it is no wonder Indians do not trust them.The problem as I have been saying for years is that people do not know of each other's concept of culture. The miseducation system and the media are Eurocentric, except for a several Indian radio stations and newspapers. The opposition, with it's African based supporters never paid any attention to our calls for the media to expose all to the various teachings and practices that exists in the country so that healthy discussions can take place which can clear up misunderstandings. Until 5 years ago when I took to the radios, many Indians were still saying that African people came when 'Ram burned Rawan'. Who knows the Ramayana would know how degrading that is. My Radio program was stopped for explaining through archeology and history how we all shared a common ancestry. They acted as if saying that we all came from Africa was racist. Some Church Groups said that was blasphemy, the world is only 6,000 years old so humans could not be around that long.
This present Indian government refuses to allow programs that can inform and address culture from an African point of view on our state owned media. Trinidad and Tobago remains ripe for another coup. It may not happen only because some of us are very vocal on the talk-shows explaining the misunderstandings about our cultures.
lollo - 02:57pm Thu 25 May 2000
I fully agree depite being asian myself i think it is the blacks who are in the right after all they were there first built the country and then the indians came against the wish of the existing population i mean this was asking for trouble some sick joke by the british to force into sharing an island two very clearly antagonistic groups!!!the conditions are RIPE FOR MAJOR DISTURBANCE IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO and the asians will come off the worse! remember that guy williams well do you?Ayinde - 05:47pm Thu 25 May 2000
Let us not forget the Amerindians who were the original people in Trinidad. They were the first to feel the brunt of European brutalities. Then they brought in the Indians to keep low wages on the Estates. African people were not in conflict with the Indians at that time, they were trying to get rid of the British. However, after the British settled the Indians with land and further impoverished the remaining Amerindians and Africans, some Indians revisited their Brahmin teachings from India and applied their Caste System attitudes towards African people. While they were counseling people about birth control and African people took the advice and started making fewer children, in the Hindu temples they were encouraging their followers to make more children. So, now that their numbers has increased there is a proliferation of the bigoted attitudes by many outspoken Indians towards African people. There is also the ignorance of Africans who cannot make appropriate responses because they are ignorant of their own history and how that history ties to all other people including the Indians. The problem is, all sides are ignorance of History. Most African people are Christians and they have been conditioned to look no further than one book. Except for the work being done by a few of us who are busy encouraging people to read from as many points of view as possible, there is too much ignorance all around. The politicians exploit this ignorance to maintain their tribal support.lollo - 07:25pm Thu 25 May 2000
so are you suggesting things might get physical i.e come to outright street fights looting burning down of asian property i just can't help but blame the british for their myopic vision at the time the tension in port of spain must be simmering its my bet if it ever came to out right civil mayhem the africans will prevail!!!!Ayinde - 08:18pm Thu 25 May 2000
We had the burning and looting following a nurse's protest in 1990 during a coup attempt, just like in Fiji. Again, we have another nurse's protest going on for over 2 months. No one really wants another unrest, but the atmosphere is ripe for one, especially with elections soon. Politicians making appeals for support based on race has intensified.Some people who now understand what I have been promoting for years are now calling for the same. People need to first learn of what ever is close to them, and engage in discussions about the different racial and other ethnic groups in their environment, then extend that to the wider world. This is the only way people can clear up misunderstandings about differences. I have exhausted most of my personal resources encouraging this, but the politicians who depend on their tribal support are not encouraging this. The utterances of the present Prime Minister is fueling divisions and I do not think many African people are prepared to continue tolerating his disrespectful ways. As I have stated on the radios, if they do not allow education to resolve misunderstandings then the ignorance will drive people to support violent opportunists. Some activists are now repeating these words but they are yet to act on it. Too few people have computers so they are unable to test their views within this wider world-community. The ball is in the court of the people and the politicians.
lollo - 02:50pm Fri 26 May 2000
HOTEP, MY FREIND CAN YOU SEE HOE JAYNE STEVENS AND THE REST OFTHE WHITE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD ARE IN A STATE OF DENIAL ABOUT BRITAIN'S NEFARIOUS ROLE IN ALL OF THIS!!!!THE BLACKS HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE ANGRY UPRISING MAY WELL LEAD TO SUBSTANSTIAL IMPROVEMENTS! I FOR ONE WOULD HATE TO SEE TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO BACKSLIDE INTO ANARCHY AND POVERTY!!!!!!!Ayinde - 03:28pm Fri 26 May 2000
It is easier for most people to pretend that they cannot understand cause and effect and blame the victim. This blame the victim attitude is the colonial mindset. Off course, most people who realize the causes social predicament are rightly angered, and they are denied forums to express this anger. The sleeping ones use words like, "they suffering from inferiority complex." But the issues will not go away until more people develop some integrity and are willing to help resolve these issues before they reach to violence. You will be surprised to know the attitude of the politicians and church-people when I explain these things publicly.lollo - 01:10pm Sat 27 May 2000
Hotep, as always its a pleasure to read your informed critique of the status quo existent in the world all the problems macro ones are the result of the greed and indifference of the richest nations on earth they don't give a damn until the problem starts to affect them personally!! that has always been the way of this sick world!! real issues that matter to people find little room in the debating parlours of governments!!! so we can surely expect more serious unrest and violence!!! the whites will pay for the indifference and spitefullness!!!! nothing ever lasts forever!!!!!Ayinde - 04:06pm Sat 27 May 2000
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IT IS NOT ONLY THE WHITES WHO WILL PAY. People have a personal responsibility to try to work out their problems. The people who can see the situation clearly have a responsibility to share their insights. All who choose to remain indifferent, that is, Blacks, Whites, Yellow, and any other shade, will eventually suffer the effects of their indifferences, and of-course they will want us to have compassion on them. Once I am making the effort to show right action, they should not expect sympathy from me. In the major evolutionary leap that is taking place, many have to go. It is the law of change. I will still do my part. It does not surprise me that people rather talk about God and creation (something that is so far from them that they clearly do not understand) and they neglect the real down to earth issues that can give them the greatest insights into the nature of themselves. It is all about fear. FEAR of loosing whatever social position they feel they have. It takes FAIR PLAY TO REMOVE FEAR PLAY.
