MURDER IN FIJI

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 November 1923, Page 2

MURDER IN FIJI

“BUCKS” KILL INDIAN. SUVA, October IS. A very brutal murder of an old Indian named Kamal is reported from the Lautoka district. It appears that the old man went out one ’evening recently to bring in his cows, and while going along the road he met several young Fiji “bucks.” At no time are the relations between the Indians and natives very cordial. In this case a row quickly arose, the old man being badgered by the young larrikins. Then from words the scene changed to blows, and with a rush the crowd rushed in with the boot and the Indian was turkey tramped and kicked to a jelly. Alarmed by his father’s absence over night his young son went out early to look for him, and in a drain, near the road, he found the dead body of his parent. The alarm was given and the police informed. It is reported that some arrests have been made. This is the second murder committed in the district of late, and the first is yet unsolved. The victim was in that instance also an Indian and- the evidence pointed to the aggressors being natives. There is a particularly strong feeling round Lautika existing between natives and Indians. The latter are often very wealthy and are the moneylenders to the natives, who never think beyond to-day. At the same time the native looks upon the Indian as a very inferior being, so that there are all the elements for plenty of dislike. News has just arrived from Mango that one of the Indian labourers on Mr. Borron’s estate had attacked his wife with an axe and that she died a few days later from the effect of her wounds. No details have as yet come to hand.