Australia and New Zealand may not like India’s stand on Fiji but would tend to look the other way or just ignore the comments made from time to time.
In any case, both countries would have certainly got the latest message: That Fiji is on the right track and that the government of Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama was doing the right things since seizing power six years ago.
That message was loud and clear at a meeting that the Fijian Prime Minister had with his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh in Delhi on April 25, 2012.
Dr Singh reportedly congratulated Mr Bainimarama on the “bold, imaginative steps that he has taken since 2006 and wished Fiji well in the formulation of a new constitution and subsequent elections in 2014.”
Strategic Policy
India’s foreign policy is based on non-alignment and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries but New Delhi has been apparently pleased with Mr Bainimarama’s ‘equality of citizenship’ approach. Since he became Prime Minister on December 5, 2006, Indo-Fijians have been accorded a better status, with many of them appointed to key posts in the government. A majority of Indo-Fijians living overseas have expressed their appeasement with the current regime, urging the governments in their countries of domicile to support Mr Bainimarama. Thus far, most countries of the so-called ‘First World’ have refused to do so, accusing Mr Bainimarama of subverting the democratic process.
Indo-Fijians in New Zealand, by and large expressed their anger over the stand taken by former Prime Minister Helen Clark and her Labour Government by voting for the National Government led by John Key in Election 2008.
Tacit approval
The fact that the Indian government gave its mark of approval to Mr Bainimarama was evidenced by the fact that the visiting Fijian Prime Minister held meetings with Dr Singh and a number of his cabinet colleagues during his stay in the Indian capital.
A bland official statement said, “Dr Singh and other ministers explored ways and means of strengthening the bilateral relations and trade prospects.”
Mr Bainimarama has been a regular visitor to India either on personal grounds (mainly for medical treatment) or on official basis, but at each of these, he has experienced the warmth of Indian hospitality.
His visit last month was to attend a conference of the International Sugar Council, of which he is the Vice-Chairman.
Mr Bainimarama utilised official and other meetings to encourage businesses to invest in Fiji.
“Fiji is a developing country and offers a friendly environment for investors,” he said, at addressing a meeting of businesspersons in New Delhi.
“We have introduced a number of strategic reforms to encourage international investors to consider Fiji as a good investment destination. Among the incentives that we offer include duty free import of manufacturing equipment, machinery for agriculture and industry,” he said.
Brighter prospects
Mr Bainimarama also outlined the main features of his country’s ‘reformed’ foreign policy, citing the ‘People’s Charter for Change, Peace and Progress’ as central to economic and social progress.
“We stand to develop our bilateral relations more widely, based on transparency, through open dialogue for a more progressive and effective partnerships as declared in Fiji’s guiding document,” he said.
India considers Fiji as a strategic partner in the South Pacific for a number of reasons, the most important of which are its desire to participate more actively in the Pacific Islands Forum (in which it has an ‘Observer’ status) and activate its ‘Look Asia Policy’ more actively. The destiny of about 325,000 Indo-Fijians living in Fiji, representing about 38.1% of the country’s population, is also important for the Indian government.
Mr Bainimarama also visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab and met a number of religious leaders and members of the Sikh community.
Additional reading: our Editorial, Let us open a new Chapter of amity on Fiji’ under Viewlink.
Photo :
1. Bainimarama with Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on April 25, 2012 (Picture by Press information Bureau, Government of India)
2. Bainimarama (left) in front of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab during his recent visit (Picture sent by Harish Lodhia, Auckland)
