A VIOLENT SPEECH.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 73, 27 March 1922, Page 7

A VIOLENT SPEECH.

■■ ■■♦—-■ — BURN C.S.R. CO.'S EFFIGY. INDIAN'S STARTLING ADVICE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SUVA, March 23. Mr. Sharma. M.L.A., one of the Indian Mission, caused a sensation throughout the Colony a few days ago by telling some 3000 Indian coolies at Nadi to burn the C.S.R. Co. in effigy. He advised the Indians "to get together and help one another to obtain plots of land, cither from the Fijians or from the Government, or even from each other, in order that they might be able to cultivate them and live independently of the Company. He said it was now their Indian festival time, and he advised them to burn the company in effigy, then forget aliout its existence and learn to fend for themselves as independent cultivators." Such an outrageous breach of the amenities of hospitality (for Mr. Sharma and his colleagues are the guests of the Fiji Government and pledged not to interfere in local affairs) naturally could not go unchallenged, and Mr. Sharma was interviewed when he returned to Suva. He left the explaining to his president, Mr. Kiiju, M.L.C.. who said Mr. Sharma's remarks had been unhappily interpreted. At all Indian festivals such as the present one (Phaugua), it is customary to have a fire burning, and ut the beginning of tbe festival people are advised to throw all their trot—ties into the fire; in other words to forget them and launch into the joys of the occasion free of care. In the present instance their one big care was the C.S.K. Co., who hud practically locked out their labour by reducing tbe wage' per task from 2 li to I'd, and Mr. Sharma asked them to forget their worry and the company, and enjoy themselves. This was nil" very ingenious and clever, but Mr. Kaju could offer no apology for the 'advice to forget the company and to .refuse to have anything more to do with I il. That remained it bad mark, which j neither 'Ir. ltajt. nor Mr. Sharma saw any need for apologising for. for the I simple reason that it was their candid opinion. They have advised the local Indians not to work for 1/6, and as the company evidently did not want them by offering such a starvation wage, they should have nothing more to do with tiie company. The speech, however, has made a very bad impression and old residents see in the elligy stunt a distinct and sinister threat to use lire against the company. Mr. Haju professed an amusingly childlike surprise when told that the burning in elligy of anyone was the most bitter affront which one European could give to another. The public of the colony bitterly resent the whole attitude of Messrs. Raju and Sharma throughout their visit. It is common knowledge that ! their colleagues. Mr. (!. 1.. Corbett anil Lieut. His—imtiddin Khan, arc much perturbed if not amassed at the attiI tt.de of the other two. and they are j held innocent in public opinion of any suggestion of "underhand engineering.''