Diwali will not be the same for a Labasa family this year after they were evicted from the land they called home for 16 years.

Dalip Kumar, a goat farmer from Lekutu, Bua, moved to Tuatua, Labasa, to accomodate education for his three children.

He received an eviction notice one month ago.

“I moved to this land with consent from iTaukei Land Trust Board (iTLTB) in 2000,” Mr Kumar said.

“They issued a letter stating that the land has been allocated to me and will be formalised once the subdivision was approved.

“We even paid thousands of dollars to the late Turaga ni Yavusa, Ifereimi Talatu, to continue living on the property.

“We were continuously following up with the iTLTB and when we came to know that the land was given to Tui Macuata Ratu Wiliame Katonivere we went to talk to him.

“We even hired a Labasa private lawyer to fight for our case as we are uneducated and no one was willing to assist us,” the 61-year-old father said.

“We did not commit a crime; we were living a decent life and as parents we are trying to help our children get education.”

With tears in his eyes, Mr Kumar said this situation has disturbed his youngest son’s education who is currently a Year Nine student at Labasa Sangam College.

His two other children are married and living in Suva.

Mr Kumar said he spent $90,000 to build his four bedroom house and get necessary documents done to save his house.

Meanwhile, when Fiji Sun met with Ratu Wiliame, he said the land belonged to the Macuata Tikina Holdings Limited and it would be subdivided.

Edited by Paula Tuvuki

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