INDIANS IN FIJI

Hokitika Guardian, 5 April 1923, Page 3

INDIANS IN FIJI

I'HOTKST AC A INST TAX

Sl’V-A March 17

Tin- Ini! i; ms src sluiwini; a Drone hostility to tiro |Mop ;setl residential tax. ami yesterday after a very lai-of nd very intluentia] newline w; > 111-11 lin TonraU. tin- Indian .-nburlj -a Suva. A Jlundn I>l list . ['audit shivilait Sliarma. was tin- duel -pcakt r. IK' I, i-|,l t hat tin- tax would ereutly hamper Ilia prnLtn'-s ,1' tin- colony, as the Todiaus were not in a ;> .-s-iti• 1 1 to lay . and fui'tliiT. that tho.v were in a 'cry (’list i i-s.-t'ul condition. Ho ul-o sail t!iat Indians arc not ccpinlly treated. nor have they an oloetetl , cprcscnt at nv 11, anil),-r in tjic l. t-idativo Council, yet tiles' a'lc to he taxed ei|Uali,v. D was ridiculous to say that the Indians were not coni rihutiiic: towards the revenue. They were also considered viitgibonds and thieves, as there were several n-dinaucc-.s sjieeially applieanle to Indians. The ineetiup. which was wonderfully unanimous, passed the lollov. ine. lesolution. which has Teen <-ah!ed direct to vi-'i cy , f Ind.'a. instead el

through the Colonial Government: “Viceroy. Delhi- Following rc-e.ln! mn passed mass meeting. Sunday: "lmmcc'ting is of opinion that in view ol the poll lax being h vied in Fiji in the near future, in spite ol strung pretests 1 eing made hy Indians itt almost all parts of Fiji, "hereby the great majority of Indian people, "ho arc ulrcadv in a most distressed, and pitiable condition "ill he mostly affected. the Government of India should he requested (O to consider the payment of the amount propositi to he collected 11 v this tax from tile Indian Treasury; (■•}) t„ withhold consideration of further emigration of radians to I'iji under any conditions unless and until the Government of Fiji decides'not t> impose the tax or abolishes it in l - e event of its being levied ; ‘Hi to pri" i'.e hotter facilities for the repatriation of thousands ol Indians "ho are and will he eager to return to India in the event of the tax being levied and the people of Tnditi urged to consider ti e question of further emigration el labourers to other turns of the world natiomil one. and see that India 1m t adverti-ed as a labour-supplying country any more. Kindly inform Associated lhvss. Council sits 10th. proximo to pass Tax Hill : help.