PM’s comment

Tukai Lagonilakeba, Namaka, Nadi

I write with reference to Parmendra Sharma's letter (FT October 13).

Our Prime Minister was speaking against racist remarks by those ultra-Nationalist SODELPA MPs in Parliament targeted at Indo Fijians while National Federation Party (NFP) parliamentarians such as Biman Prasad and Prem Singh sat quietly on the side and absolutely watched the drama without saying a single word to their Opposition brothers.

Our PM stood up as a responsible leader of the Fijian people and defended like a true soldier, but it was totally irresponsible of those NFP parliamentarians to allow such behaviour to go unchallenged. They hid their heads under their tables alright and that was the fact of the matter Parmendra, but to again childishly suggest that Mr Bainimarama should give the power back to the Fiji Labour Party (FLP) Mahendra Chaudry in 2000 is a total joke. It would have been suicidal and wrong considering what was happening then at that point in time as the FLP Coalition members were being held hostage at gunpoint inside our old Parliament.

Countless Fijians suffered very badly including our country's fragile economy from that coup and the then Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) Commander Commodore Bainimarama with his loyal RFMF troops saved the country from ruin and further damage.

That is the version of what transpired on the ground here, but some people such as Parmendra Singh are very fortunate to be sitting in the comfort of their Brisbane home while those of us here remain true to our individual callings here at home. He has very poor knowledge of what is happening in Fiji and bad taste too.