by Sai Lealea
Once a student of English literature when a sixth former at
Ratu Kadavulevu School in Fiji, I regard the opening line in Shakespeare’s
famous soliloquy in Hamlet as a gut wrenching reminder of the state of mind
that persists around efforts to salvage Fiji from the slings and arrows of the
Bainimarama dictatorship.
Just as Hamlet had questioned the meaning of life, and
whether or not it is worthwhile to stay sane when life in Fiji for the last 6
years contained so many hardships, different conclusions can be drawn on why citizens
have not taken to the streets to protest and to overthrow the dictatorship.
Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the hardships faced, tends
to reflect a trait in the Fijian psyche of putting up with difficulties and to
acquiesce to those in authority even when that authority has been acquired
illegally through treason. It is a case of suffering in silence with eyes and
ears wide open to the outrageous fortunes illegally gained by the regime and
its supporters. But what is the use of that knowledge if it is not applied to
assert a reversal in the fortunes of those who have been suppressed and oppressed?
Yet to take arms
against a sea of troubles, as Hamlet postulates, may well result in our own
demise! Therein may well lie the underlying uncertainty borne out of the past
and current brutality of the Bainimarama regime in instilling fear on those who
oppose its rule. As well, there is the fear of the unknown as to the success of
an attempt to overthrow the regime via the same means it gained power. Paralysis
then sets in further when realised that a coup begets another and another
pointing to the stigma of an everlasting coup culture. As a result we have
inaction in the face of constant repression and brutality by those in power and
this often encourages them further.
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all. Here, I read Hamlet to
mean that unless we shake ourselves out of the slumber we’re all in, life in
Fiji will get far worse. Poverty and suicide are on the rise together with
crime. The economy continues to worsen despite over-optimistic growth forecast
from purported increase in consumer spending and infrastructure investment.
Slowing down of the Chinese economy means the drying up of soft loans from that
source.
The regime is now aiming to
achieve legitimacy through its imposed constitution followed by an election.
Nations that should know better are tripping over each other to provide funding
support for the 2014 election. It all augurs well for the illegal regime to
cement its rule over a long time to come.
In the end, it is about how badly
we want our freedom, human rights and dignity as Fijians. As history has often
revealed, such universally cherished values, once taken away, are often very
difficult to be restored unless fought for. Those of you with the means and
opportunity to begin the fight back have your own conscience to answer to. Future
generations of Fijians and those without the same chance, expect no less than a
full restoration of elected government by the people of Fiji and for them all
too.
Unlike Hamlet, who came to the
conclusion that the main reason people stay alive is due to a fear of death and
uncertainty at what lies beyond life, Fijians readily value life and are
adamant that the present situation is deadly enough, it is worthless to contemplate
any worse.
Click Links to Find Out!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment