Comment: This is something that was known for sometime now - if you ever went and lived amongst our rural population. It great that Dr Narsey has brought this out so people can know & must know the truth instead of using statistics to meet their own private agendas as has been the case for so long. Here is a realistic look at the facts, not some interpretation.

Comment: I'm glad this came out because of the work of Social Welfare. Though bits and pieces of information was thrown around the media, I for one would have liked if someone had truthfully reported poverty between the Fijians and Indians. While he has described how the distribution of material wealth is lopsided says much about the distribution of wealth and who is responsible. So this is why I think welfare reform was needed and a timeline placed at the minimum of 5 years whereby recipients were required to work and offered govt training. Domestic violence victims should be included in this programme. Protocols in place. This should be applied to all races on the basis of need as Dr Narsey stated. This is where the aid money should be going. As for Fijians, there really should be no excuse as they are landowners but this is where they are going to need the help of the natives who have acquired the skills and knowledge to improve thier ability to play in a level playing field with others. It's a 21st century challenge and I have no doubt at all that the natives are now ready to take the reigns of their own destiny with the help of others and with authority. The only problem is which of the native. So far a few have done very well for themselves. I would like to see those who have struggled to get creative and get a piece of the pie too.

Comment: The figures show that this is true that a lot of the Indo Fijian population is below the poverty line and who is to be be blamed here. I think that the previous Governments are responsible for this who has not taken into account or has done nothing to improve the standards of these people and instead pushed them towards poverty by not listening to their grievances and also a contributing factor was land lease problems which forced people into poverty. An average farmer in 1999 had a farm to support his family but after his lease expired he had to move out to urban centres and settle in squatter settlements. The ministers are travelling by Queens Highway every day and the sight is clear to them at Korovuto, Nawaka and areas around Nadi. Same applies to other places in Fiji. All along the Government has done nothing. I agree with lawyer Isireli Fa's comments that all political leaders in the IG and the previous governments should not be allowed to contest the coming elections. The younger generation should be given tickets to contest the coming election.

Comment: I escaped that poverty stricken country, my mother land, in 1975,where I lived with my families, next to my native brothers and sisters who were all in the same boat as us. We were deprived of every things by the Government and the so-called Indian political parties. So what's the big deal now?

Comment: Yes the finding is good but there is no immediate solution. The world over, there is discrimination and political parties in power do intimidate voters who are gullible and are forced to vote for an outspoken leader. As for now the Indo-Fijians are contemplating emigration as a solution out of this mess. Poor and deprived people are always there in society. The total base line of a deprived community is to look out for help, whereas in LQ's regime the Fijians were allocated to receive benefits to get them out of their dilemma. The Indians are poor because of location and rural economic deprivation. Development has always been slow in these communities where Indians were in the majority. Fijians find a way out as in the last 40 years there was always a majority Fijian Government in power. It's a fact of life. Though despite the deprivation and support from the authorities the Indians will survive.

Comment: Hasn't this been what it's all about since 1987? Indo-Fijians being harassed and discriminated against for 21 years. All the home invasions and robberies targeting Indo-Fijians while the govt and police cast a blind eye. Indo-Fijians have been leaving in droves since '87 and who can blame them?

Comment: With 1/3 of the Indo-Fijian population struggling to put food on the table, never-ending coups that seem to only help natives and foreign investors, and over 100 years in Fiji, we should demand our own place in Fiji, with institutions and leaders who have to answer to us.

Comment: What are you talking about Dr Narsey? This country Fiji is itself classed as a poverty derived society. We take aid from developed countries as we are beggars and the rule of jungle applies here if somebody is disgruntled with the govt he does a coup and becomes a statesman.

Comment: A very sad reality. While the so called 'leaders' have been promoting "ethno-nationalism', one in three lives in ragged poverty. It is a shame on virtually all who have ruled for the last 20 or so years. This includes the politicians, the managers, the chiefs and the landlords. Shame on you!