Rabuka wants celebrations for Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna

SODELPA Leader Sitiveni Rabuka says that while he supports the Girmit commemoration of the arrival of the last indenture ship Sutlej V in Fiji in November 1916, he also wants celebrations for the late Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna.

Rabuka said that while he was at the Girmit celebrations earlier this week, he was reminded of the 2010 scrapping of the celebrations of the life and achievements of Fijian Statesman    Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna.

He says the SVT Government initiated the weeklong program of celebrations usually held in the last week of May annually, to celebrate Ratu Sukuna in 1992 that culminated in a public holiday around May 30th, the day Ratu Sukuna passed away, in 1959.

Rabuka says he was sad that the holiday has been discarded.

He says that he sat there with mixed feelings at the Girmit Celebrations and hopes we can remedy the situation in future.

Rabuka says we must always acknowledge the great work of Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna.

He says a lot of the developments that have taken place since the 1950s when the native land legislation came into force, can be attributed to the great work of Ratu Sukuna.

Rabuka adds that a SODELPA Government would reinstate the Ratu Sukuna celebrations, to give fair recognition to the indigenous people and their system.

We have sought a response from Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama.

He is yet to comment.