The Prime Minister says a great future awaits us all as a nation as we have a common identity and are moving forward together, determined to leave no-one behind.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama made this comment while speaking at the 57th Annual Shree Sanatan Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha Convention at Cuvu College in Sigatoka today.
Bainimarama says in the 1920s, Indians suffered cruel discrimination on the basis of ethnicity and religion and were denied a say in national affairs.
He says now we have a common identity, everyone is a Fijian, religious freedom is guaranteed and we finally have an electoral system in which everyone’s vote is worth the same.
Bainimarama also says that as government improves conditions for the living, it must also do whatever it can to grant dignity and respect to those Fijians whose lives have drawn to a close.
He says he is very pleased to see the budget allocation that has been made to provide the Hindu community with a Ghat to service the Lami‑Suva‑Nausori corridor.
Bainimarama says in doing so, they are acknowledging their need for a proper walkway to the sea to allow for the sprinkling of the ashes of their loved ones.
The Prime Minister says there are now more than 70 Sanatan Sabha public temples in Fiji.
He says the teachings of the Sabha have provided tens of thousands of our citizens with an important moral compass, as well as binding the community together and promoting the Hindi language.
Bainimarama talked about the contributions of the Sabha to education in Fiji.
He says the Sabha has almost 120 institutions of learning in Fiji in which our children are not only being imparted with knowledge but learning the high moral values of the Sanatan Sabha.
The 57th Sanatan Annual Convention 2016 is currently underway at Cuvu College in Sigatoka.
Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations
