Issue No: 889; 27 June 2001

The Daily Post reports the Samaj saying that all local Gujaratis should not be subjected to a blanket accusation of being perpetrators of the civilian coup on 19 May last year.

The Samaj said: "It has been reported widely that some Indo-Fijian businessmen had a hand in the coup. But now direct blame is being laid on the Gujaratis. Why blame all the Gujaratis? If there is a rotten potato in a sack then it does don't mean that the rest of the potatoes are bad".

The Samaj was reacting to comments by the President of the Labasa Chamber of Commerce, Shivlal Nagindas that some Gujaratis should be investigated for financing the terrorists. Nagindas, himself a Gujarati, is also a Senator, and a prominent businessman in Labasa.

The Gujarati community is descendent of the free ethnic Indians who came to Fiji after the end of the indenture system to carry out business. Most of the present day Gujaratis are hardworking and honest professionals and businessmen. An increasing number of Gujaratis are now entering the labour force as workers. Many are strong supporters of democracy and many support the Fiji Labour Party as well. But a handful of Gujarati businessmen have been found to be highly corrupt, and had financed the terrorists last year. Businessmen belonging to other communal groups have also been implicated with financing the terrorists.