The government side will table a motion in parliament tomorrow to condemn SODELPA MP Mosese Bulitavu’s racist and derogatory statement about Indo Fijian women and iTaukei women.
Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum will move the motion that parliament strongly condemns the statements made or published by Mosese Bulitavu in the media, including social media.
Bulitavu said the following :
“Tovo vulagi sega ni vaka iTaukei sega ni vakarisito’
(Translation: This foreign behaviour is not iTaukei, nor Christian) Murder and stabbing in the past were only done by Fijians who are descendants of the indentured labourers from British India and was never part of Fijians who are iTaukei. Indigenous Fijians are now slowly sharing some itovo vulagi (Translation: foreign behavior).
‘Keda na iTaukei eda sega ni dau veidomoni vaka tu oqo me tini ena laba. E tiko na kena itovo
kei na kena ivakarau yavutaki ena vakarokoroko ‘
(Translation: We iTaukei do not engage in romantic relationships like this to the extent where it leads to murder. We have customs and traditions based on respect).
'Isa ko Viti'
“It is not iTaukei to murder if a relationship breaks down because we have our bulubulu custom (tradition of seeking forgiveness).”
“I was brought up in Labasa and it was common to hear an Indo‑Fijian man murder his wife if she is caught in an affair in the cane settlement.”
“These affairs are common amongst married Indo Fijian women in rural areas (A Hindustani [sic] language in Labasa “Qahtai maro” was a slang that the juri (knife emoji) is well sharpen [sic].”
“For iTaukei, assaults on women were common, given their built. In rural Vanualevu communities they use the juri (knife emoji) or patar (stone) was common with Indo‑Fijian boys when we get into a fight. But again it is uncommon or vulagi for iTaukei men to use knives or stones.”
Debate on the motion will take place tomorrow.
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