Mick Beddoes’ post
Peni Naoma, Savusavu

Failed politician Mick Beddoes has gone too far by posting unverified statistics which compare ethnicity of Government appointments.

It is very sad to see old politicians still trying to take us backwards and create hate and division. For your information Mr Beddoes, those entities that you apparently surveyed are doing better now than ever before.

Certainly, much better than when you were in Parliament. Show some honour and stop thinking along racial lines, this is not 1987.

Pathetic Research
KaushalKumar, Nasinu

Can someone please inform Mick Beddoes that it is now 2019 not 1980? Youth like me everywhere are cringing at his “research” which is clearly designed to make our iTaukei brothers and sisters resent Indo- Fijians like me.

It was also the most pathetic research methodology I have ever seen which doesn’t take into account so many organisations, permanent secretaries and fails to tell us performance of these organisations that Beddoes claims to have studied.

Keep your tricks for the Jurassic Park, youth of today will not stand for hate.

Fijian citizenship
Simon Hazelman, Savusavu

The revelation that 196 foreign nationals were granted Fijian citizenship over a period of six months, between January and July 2016, is interesting.

That would be an average of approximately 380 people per year. In monetary terms that would be approximately $2 million in Immigration Department revenue.

Let’s hope money is not the incentive to allow as many people into the country. There are a good number of bogus new immigrants who are neither a complement nor a good example of what a genuine new citizen ought to be.

We need more stringent standards and requirements from anyone who desires to become a Fijian citizen.

We are already experiencing some very arrogant, disrespectful, and inconsiderate newcomers to our shores.

Hosting World Sevens Series
TomasiBoginiso, Nasinu

New Zealand rugby is offering to take turns with the Fiji rugby in hosting their leg of the World Sevens Series in Fiji.

Fiji rugby to host the event during the 2020- 2023 cycle. Being seen by the world of the contribution of the Fijian rugby community to the success of the tournament in Hamilton both on the field and in the stands, alter- nating the tournament between Hamilton and Fiji looks promising.

But work needs to done by Fiji to ensure we achieve full compliance for the World Rugby and NZ rugby by next month. Hosting with NZ rugby will not be cheap but that will not drive the fans away and the world will see what the real Fiji fans are made of.

FIFA help
Sukha Singh, Labasa

Now that Rajesh Patel is on the FIFA board can he ask FIFA to help Fiji Football Association financially so they can just have one soccer tournament and allow all affiliated as- sociations to have regular club soccer com- petitions?

Religious Messages
Rajesh Lal, Labasa

It’s a pity to see that church leaders are still being deceived by the devil and as a result these so called pastors are deceiving their congregations with false doctrines. This fast- ing of Jesus has nothing to do with “Easter” as this word does not appear in the Bible.

According to the Gospel of Matthew chapter 3 verses 16 –17 and chapter 4, Jesus after his baptism was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, afterward he was hungry.

Now does any pastor or a saint fast for 40 days and 40 nights? No food and no drink. Jesus began his ministry at the age of 30 and after his fasting he ministered for three and half years before his death and resurrection. So where is his Easter fasting? Nothing is mentioned about Easter in the Bible.

Even Paul, James, John etc mentioned and commanded believer to observe or even Jesus never commanded his believers to observe.

2 Corinthians 5:16 is very clear that we are no longer to know him (Jesus) in the flesh but to know him spiritually.

Pastors and Christians call themselves “ born- again”. To them 2 Corinthians 5:17 is of no value.

What’s the use of abstaining oneself from grog, liquor, smoke, adultery etc for only 40 days and after that go back to the devils world?

Matthew 7:21: ‘Not all who call Me Lord will enter the Kingdom of God but he who does my Father’s will.’ Food for thought for all.

Organic farming
Satish Nakched, Suva

It is pleasing to note that in the news this week the Agriculture Ministry has finally recognised the need to engage farmers in the organic farming by providing the suited fertiliser and the technical knowledge.

This is long overdue as most of the poultry, meat and the produce that are imported into the country and some produced locally are mostly the genetic modified organism (GMO).

The GMO is now widely used because this has increased the yield of the crops almost three folds over the same time period.

The growth hormones and other chemicals are injected into the genetic makeup of the crops or animals that achieve the fast maturity and the farmers save enormous resources in their operation cost.

The chicks take about three months under the natural habitat environment to mature but through the use of the GMO the growth rate is accelerated and ready for consumption in about a month.

One of the leading local poultry farms is utilising the concept and image the poisonous substance entering the human body through the consumption of the birds that may lead to an adverse health condition which will increase the nation’s medical bill across the board.

The organic concept is more than two decades old in the larger neighbouring countries and the supermarkets have sections that advertise in bold the organic food sold there.

The health has become more and more important to the customers who want to be healthy and will only purchase what they consider safe to consume.

This has forced the producers to align to this concept and failing to do so many results in not having a stable market to sell to.

Through the plan awareness has changed the mindset of the consumers to choose what is best for them and their families.

In the long run this benefits the country as a whole in the reduction of medical expenses. I had spoken to three floor managers of the leading supermarkets in Suva and this concept of selling organic food is still a very foreign idea to them.

They are not very keen on the suggestion even though some imported organic products were seen on the shelves.

I believe there needs to be a system of disseminating such information to the general public so that a demand is created that will force the traders to stock up on organic products and eliminate the unhealthy eating habits of many.

There may come a time that our exports could be affected due to the fact the overseas markets will only receive the organic products. The Ministry of Agriculture has taken a step in the right direction. The Ministry of Agriculture needs to be consistent in its approach and assist farmers accordingly to make the concept materialise.

Land handover
Ro Filipe Tuisawau, Burebasaga

I refer to the article in Friday’s Fiji Sun where PM criticised past governments when handing over land to original landowners under the buyback scheme. The scheme was initiated by SVT before 2006.

He tries to take credit. Good that this land in Taveuni has been reverted. Most of the hard work was done by Yavusa Nasuva.

The FijiFirst has a Land Claims Tribunal in their manifesto similar to SODELPA’s.

The SVT & SDL governments set up the Buy Back Scheme under a 2020 Development Plan which was a blueprint for iTaukei & Rotu- mans about the return of all land acquired through dubious means by early European settlers.

It was part of the SDL government mandate through its proposed Land Claims Tribunal Bill in 2006.

All PM is doing is copying all what previous governments were doing.

The Opposition in the last term of Parliament had asked the government to set up a Land Claims Tribunal.

If he is serious about return of lands to original owners then he should immediately return all state lands in Suva, including the Botanical Gardens, to the Tui Suva and the Vanua Nadonumai.

He should immediately return all such lands in Fiji including those under Government entities such as FSC, AFL EFL, etc, as the original purpose of public use no longer applies.

Feedback: jyotip@fijisun.com.fj