Reviving Old Way of Life?

Dewan Chand, Suva

According to a media report a new iTaukei movement is passionate about reviving the Old Way of Life. This group is based at Toko in Tavua and calls itself the New Fountain Group and is led by Ratu Melikisateki Uluibau.

Ratu Melikisateki has made some bizarre claims.

He claims that the iTaukei youth  are being spoilt by the western way of life and are rapidly losing the essence of Fijian traditions and culture.

In the next breadth he speaks about praying and teaching spirituality based on the Bible and the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am amazed: does he not know that the Holy Bible is a western instrument used to introduce Christianity in Fiji. 

However, the New Fountain Group wants the iTaukei women to retain their traditional hair style and dressing.

At the same time they do not want iTaukei men and women to follow Christian matrimonial rules as prescribed in the Bible !

Speaking on Fijian funerals the leader wants to passionately follow the current expensive funerals with all decorum  observed.

Pardon my ignorance but I am stumped  with the confused logic of this new group.

Through COP23 Presidency, Prime Minister Bainimarama has catapulted Fiji onto the world stage to play a vital role in the community of nations.

Young speakers from Fiji, Timoci and Shalvi wowed the world leaders and other listeners on the climate issue.

Therefore, it does not make much sense when the New Fountain Group talks about taking Fiji back into the sixteenth century.

I hope these reformists are watching our young iTaukei women on national TV and watching their hair styles.

They look so modern, so pretty and so executive.

They are well educated and armed with skills to face the  technological  challenges of the 21sr Century.

I am sure all Fijians are so proud of our iTaukei women locally and on the world stages…be it sports or academia; they simply excel.

We are now entering the Christmas season and there is a sense of joy, happiness, sharing, caring and hopes for a better future for all our people.

May the Lord grant His bounty on our nation.

Welcome for Nanise

Tomasi Boginiso, Nasinu

Government has just announced the vakasenuqanuqa (welcome ceremony) for the COP 23 in Bonn Germany.

How about including our Nakelo girl, Miss World Fiji Nanise Rainima in the programme as she has placed Fiji also on the world map.

Let us give something back to her.

Or maybe the people of Nakelo have something lined up for her as they did for their Rio hero Viliame Mata.

It would just be a nice finishing touch, she might not have another opportunity of this sort but as a true Fijian she deserves it.

COP23 welcome

Savenaca Vakaliwaliwa, Suva

I am reading that a celebration party is being planned to welcome the COP23 Fiji contingent costing $35,000.

My question is “What for?”

Has carbon emissions reduced?

Can we start sending back climate change refugees to return to their islands?

I am not against our involvement in COP23 or climate change but celebrations just for the sake of celebrating is not good governance and we need to get our priorities right.

Swimming Pool for Adi Cakobau School

Taitusi Sokiveta, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

A swimming pool built on the Adi Cakobau Girls School would be great blessings to the students since they are far from the ocean.

The pool not only can be used for recreation but also to pick out good swimmers for the Oceania and the Pacific Games.

It would be a practice place for dive boarding and first aid training for drowning victims, scuba diving lessons and snorkelling training. The US Navy Seals, US Marines, US Army Ranger and US Coast Guards all did their training in swimming pools.

If they don’t qualify in swimming pool training they cannot go any further in any Special Forces unit.

The swimming pool at Adi Cakobau School would be a good way to release stress from their very demanding studies and relax and enjoy boarding school life.

Feedback:  jyotip@fijisun.com.fj