Once Were Farmers:A documentary film (44 mins) on eviction of Indo-Fijian farmers in Fiji - 2004

ONCE WERE FARMERS

  A DOCUMENTARY ON DISPLACEMENT OF INDO-FIJIAN  CANE FARMERS IN FIJI UNDER A SHAM OF DEMOCRACY UNDER QARASE REGIME IN EARLY 2000, AFTER DEPOSING OF CHAUDHRY GOVERNMENT AND VICTORY OF ETHNO NATIONALIST SDL PARTY.

This film was made by Dr Satish Rai in 2004, after the launch of a report on escalation of poverty among Indo-Fijians. The film explores this issue and relates it primarily with the upheavals caused in the Indo-Fijian community in Fiji after the 1987 coups and more specifically with Qarase government's racist eviction policy of Indo-Fijian farmers. More that 5,000 Indo-Fijian farmers were unceremoniously evicted from their farms. With little resources available to them many ended up in hundreds of squatter settlements that began sprouting in and around the two major Fijian cities and towns like Nadi and Ba. 

This eviction policy contributed greatly to the demise of Fiji's sugar industry from the primary source of revenue generation a few years ago to the pathetic state it finds itself now. Nearly ten years on, poverty among the Indo-Fijian community in Fiji appears to be still on the increase, giving fire to social issues such as unemployment, prostitution, depression, mental issues, suicide and such like. 

This film will give a little glimpse into this issue which has greatly contributed to the social/cultural disintegration of the Indo-Fijian community in Fiji. 

You will note that parts on interview were done by a younger Thakur Ranjit Singh of a decade ago. Larger portion are in Hindi.

Indo-Fijian Diaspora spread worldwide are urged to look at this. Academics, armchair critics and supporters of democracy who support democratic governments are urged to rethink their perception of democracy that Fiji had under Qarase, and how Qarase under under SDL Party and ethno nationalist Fijians disowned and marginalised Indo-Fijians in Fiji under guise and sham of democracy. 

PEOPLE , AFTER WATCHING THIS VIDEO, NEED TO APPRECIATE WHY INDO-FIJIANS REGARD FRANK BAINIMARAMA'S TAKEOVER OF QARASE'S SO-CALLED DEMOCRATIC AND BLATANTLY RACIST GOVERNMENT A BOON AND BLESSING.