The fire still burns at 80

One of Fiji's leading past political figures shares his views candidly not only on Fijian politics but also the community settled here in Australia

would bring about political and social integration. Fiji needs fair representati o n of all its citizens ilirough one man: one vote and one value".

Harish Sharma, the firsr fodian co hold top office in Fiji as deputy Prime l'vlin.ister in the Bavaclra government in 1987 - the year chat reshaped Fij i's destiny, celebrated his 80th birthday in Sydney recently wirb the hope chat Fiji will recover from its deep political and social fractmes, both direct results of the military coup chat ousted hi s government from office.

Calling Australia his adopted country, Mr Sharma feels liberated living in a country that offers him h is basic human right5 as well as recognizes h is fodian identity He was also President of Fiji's largest Hindu organisation, the Shree San.atan Dharam Prarinidhi Sabha

Advocating politics of inclus iveness, :M r Sharma said Fiji has mmed back a full circle into tl1e doldrums while pla} ng tl1e race card. "Indians ,vho have been feared and accused of raking over tl1e education and economy of the countr y have been forced co look outside tl1e box," stared Sharma. " In do ing so, they have been exposed to global markets in countries like Australia, New Zealand, the US a nd Canada, and tl1ey utilized their edu cation an d skills to migrate and e1;rablish a better life The coup was a mrning point in this conununicy's livelihood. They have so ld iered on while our indigenous Fijian communities have been left behind, fooled into believing tl1at claiming ownership over land and letting it lie barren would get diem something in return".

" This ideology has been an end in itsel~" he continued. "One has to make use of every resource avaihble co survive and indeed Aoucisb in chis day of competition and open markets Any ordinary citize n can zoom into the crisis crippling Fij i to m1derstand tl1at chose who played the race card have long deserted the country"

So what would he do if he were given another chance?

''\Vhile Fiji's constimtion is being redrafted, J would ensure that die cmmcry has a representative government, vo ted on Common roU," said Mr Sharma emphatically. " This would be a good political philosophy which

" I am optimistic and know how resilie nt the ordinary people of Fiji l are," added i\fr Sharma.

Speaking about tl1e Fiji Indian communiry in Sydney, Mt Sharma lamented that it has nor venmred outside its own boundaries co assimilate into the multicultural enviromnent. "The community is keeping to its old cultural and class system o f networks within its comfort zone. This is nor a healtl1y way to live, given that we are now in a mul ticultural space. The concept of operating Ramayan 111adalis is keeping the community locked in. Our great granclfatl1ers imroduced the concept of Ramaya n recital to keep tl1e religion and culture alive. \Yle now have the capacity to read and smdy the teachings espoused in tl1ese holy books, but why are we using such excuses not to go om and see tl1e world outside of tl1e Fij i Indian conununity?"

He said diere was a constant struggle in the community to keep abreast o f o ne another. "As an uprooted group, we are always going to live in Aux," he observed. "Competition is good, bur only to a point. We live in a cur- tl1roar world of ' [ must be better than the others in my social group'. The competition goes beyond self to include children and our aspirations to educate chem for careers they may not even be happy co take up. The extended family unit is fast fading away as we feel tl1e pressures of time and space. E lderly parents an d grandparents are lost in this tide of change as they have not been able ro adapt tl1eir thinking co tl1e new trends of nuclear families l\fany migrate through chain migration , only to become a part of anothe r vicious cycle".

" B y socialising within their own Indian neN1orks, the community is =consciously reinforcing bad habits. I do not believe in isolation - we should not be creating a country within a cmmtry. Our isolation in the past (in Fiji) was created by tl1e colonial governmeor l ow we are better eel ucated and exposed to o pportunities to learn and grow from tl1e experiences of other communities We should take on this new challenge and liberate our thinking and behaviour," added Mr Sharma vehemently.

1fr Sharma occasionally discourses o n the basics of living a weU balanced and happy life based on the teachings of the Hol y Rru:nayan , at the Lyn Parade temple in L iverpool. Here he stresses tliat we must read die hol y books as sources of knowledge, rather tl1an organise recitals where tl1e real meaning is lose in excessive socialis ing (yagona drinking among men) and fashjon parades b y women decked in finery as i f they are at a BoUywood fashion show Harish Sharma was born in l ausori, Fiji in 1932. He worked as an insurance agent and a civil servant before taking up studies at tl1e University of Tasmania in 1960, g raduating witl1 a Bachelor of Law (LLB) in 1964. Upon returning to Fij i he worked for the country's two senior most Indian politicians: Sidiq Koya and J\D Patel, botl1 of whom had led the fodian- dominated ational Federation Party as tough opposition to tl1e Alliance. Party which ruled from 1966 to 1987, led by Fijian chief R ani Sir Kan1isese Mara, the founding father of modern Fiji.

The party was finally roppled by a multi -racial coalition Jed by Dr

Timoci Bavadra, an ethic Fijian who drew majority support from tl1e Indian communities. However, rbe Bavadra governmeot in which Sharma was deputy Prime M.inister was deposed in a military coup 33 clays later, on May 14, 1987. ln that year Mara rernrned to power, tl1e Alliance Party was dissolved and tl1e r ole of chiefs in Fij i's p olitics rook a new mrning point.

Mr Sharma set up his own law firm in 1969 and continued his involvement in politics, contesting seven elections without los ing any. He recited from po litic5 in 1998 and became a life member of the Fij i Law Society in 2007. In August 2001, NL- Sharma was appointed an O fficer o f the Order of Fiji.

Addressing a small gathering of family and friends at Mr Sharma's 80th birthday celebrations, former registrar of the high court of Fij i, Mori Rai said Sharma's greatest assets were his co mpassion, humility, integrity and modes ty.

Mr. Sharma recalled his eady years of struggle to gee an education and carve a career, claiming he does not have any regrets for the life be had. When a communi ty elder once passed a snide remark to a young Harish in the lace '60s: "Paidal chak ho, vak.eel s"hib, motor 11ahi11 hal', he famously replied, "Ji 11ahit1, Pundi!Ji, h,m1a,1r paas 111otor nahi11 bal'.

1n anotl1er amusing anecdote, Mr Sharma described how his marriage with his wife Ambika was arranged. The match maker, a woman known to both families, would say to hi s folks, "Ladki 1110/e ta[ya{lr hai, tum log k.e !tm,f se de1i bai (the girl's famil y is ok with die match, only you are delaying die process) ". To Arnbika's fanilly she would say; "Ladke 1110/e ta!Jc1t1r hai, t11J11 log ke taraf se de,i hai tl1e b oy's family is o k with the match, o nl y you are delaying the process."

I ow, Sharma refers to his wife as his "rock of Gibraltar", claiming he owes hi s success to her, who srood by through all their challenges of poverty, deafu1g with grief, tl1e political crises when he was locked away for six days during the military coup, and relocating to Australia.

The coup le has three clilldre.n and several grandchildren