Lala Sukuna - The Statesman

The Statesman

Meanwhile, Sukuna's father had died in 1920, and he had to return to Fiji to take his place as head of the mataqali, or clan. He brought with him a tailored sulu, a skirt worn by men, which became Fiji's national dress. He became a chief assistant in the Native Lands Commission in 1922, and a decade later he was stationed in Lomaloma, and also on the island of Lakeba in the Lau Islands, as a district and provincial commissioner. The same year, he was appointed to the Legislative Council to represent the Fijian people. (At that time, non-European members were appointed, rather than elected). In this capacity, Sukuna attended the coronation of King George VI in London in 1937.

In 1938, Sukuna was installed as the Tui Lau (Protector of the Tongans of Sawana in Vanuabalavu), a senior chiefly title in the Lau Islands that had been vacant for many years. In many respects, this formalized what had long been the reality that he was the most influential chief in Fiji, notwithstanding the seniority enjoyed by other chiefs. Sukuna's education complemented his lineage: he was a descendant of Fijian and Lauan royalty, and no other chief held a university degree. It was by hard work, however, that he earned the respect of his people. Travelling from village to village, Sukuna listened to the common people and took their concerns back to the colonial authorities. In 1940, he returned to Suva as the Native Lands Reserves Commissioner. That year he was awarded the CBE. In 1942 he set about recruiting Fijian men for the World War II effort. The British government had completely reversed its former position of not permitting natives to enlist, and the Fijian Battalion, commanded by Ratu Edward Cakobau (a relative of Sukuna's) fought with distinction. At long last, Fijians had begun to earn the respect of the British authorities, and after the war, they began steps towards fostering self-government in Fiji.

One of Ratu Sukuna's greatest achievements was his role in the establishment of the Native Land Trust Board. Most of the land of Fiji was owned by the mataqali, or clans, but worked by Indo-Fijian farmers. Prior to 1940, each clan individually negotiated the terms of leasing the land to those who farmed it, resulting in a wide variation of lease terms. As most landholdings were small, few magaqali were able to develop their plots to any large degree. The then colonial governor, Sir Arthur Richards, proposed establishing a central body to hold the land in trust, and lease it to willing farmers on terms that would be uniform throughout Fiji. The pressing need of the time was to provide land for a growing population of Indo-Fijian farmers, without expropriating it from its Fijian owners, and to do so in a way that was consistent. As early as 1933, Ratu Sukuna had recognized this problem, and had told the Great Council of Chiefs, "We regard the Indian desire for more permanent tenancy as a natural and legitimate consequence an agricultural community settling in any country. But how was this desire to be reconciled with the need to protect the interests of present and future Fijian landowners?" The Native Land Trust Board scheme emerged as a solution.

Persuading the various mataqali to accept the scheme, however, was far from easy. The landowners were being asked to surrender, forever, the control of their land, and entrust its administration to a central authority that would act in the national interest, as well as that of the owners. Almost single-handedly, Ratu Sukuna set about explaining the proposal to every mataqali in Fiji. Rather than rely on radio broadcasts or printed flyers, he determined to take the proposal in person to every village in the country. After explaining it to the people, he would leave to allow the idea to percolate, and would return later to answer more questions. If necessary, he would return again and again, gradually building a consensus in favour of the plan. Finally, after a long and vigorous debate, the Great Council of Chiefs approved the scheme in what Sir Philip Mitchell, the then Governor, described as "one of the greatest acts of faith and trust in colonial history." Ratu Sukuna himself was assigned the task of examining each landholding and deciding what portion should be reserved for the present and future needs of the mataqali, and what portion should be made available for leasing.

Meanwhile, Sukuna had become Secretary for Fijian Affairs. In 1944, he reestablished the Native Regulations Board, renamed the Fijian Affairs Board. Then in 1950, he was appointed as an advisor to the British delegation to the Fourth Committee at Lake Success. He said that while self-government was indeed the goal in the South Pacific, it would have to be of a kind that the local people could understand and work with.

Sukuna was created a Commander of the British Empire in 1939 and awarded a knighthood (Knight Commander of the British Empire) in 1946, in recognition of his services to Fiji. After receiving a second knighthood Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (KCMG) in 1953, Ratu Sukuna was appointed the first Speaker of the Legislative Council in 1954. Although it was only partially elected and had few of the powers of the modern Parliament of Fiji, the Legislative Council provided a venue for Fiji's future leaders to gain experience in the workings of government. In 1956, Ratu Sukuna encouraged the formation of Fiji's first political party, the Fijian Association under the leadership of Ratu Edward Cakobau.