LALA SUKUNA
(Ratu Sir Josefa Lalabalavu Vana'ali'ali Sukuna)
The strife between the indigenous Fiji people and the Indian immigrants was not as serious when Indian immigration to Fiji began. The immigrants rented land from the natives at good prices and did the hard work of tilling the land. They had a different work ethic and developed the Fiji economy substantially. However, the Indians became more wealthy and better educated. The minority group became equal or dominant in most aspects of Fijian society and inter-ethnic strife and jealousy eventually developed. This became the modern problem of Fiji.
Ratu Sir Josefa Lalabalavu Vana'ali'ali Sukuna KCMG KBE was a Fijian chief, scholar, soldier, and statesman. He is regarded as the forerunner of the post-independence leadership of Fiji. He did more than anybody to lay the groundwork for self-government by fostering the development of modern institutions in Fiji, and although he died a dozen years before independence from the United Kingdom was achieved in 1970, his vision set the course that Fiji was to follow in the years to come.
