Hon Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka last night acknowledged the owners of the The Fiji Times; the Motibhai Group for their literary initiative, dedication and commitment to preserving and sharing Fiji’s history.
Speaking at the launch of the book to commemorate the newspaper’s 150th Anniversary, the Prime Minister urged members of the public to engage with the book and its valuable insights.
“From beginning to the end, the anniversary book is packed with news items, headlines and pictures, extracts from advertisements, commentary, wit and wisdom.”
Prime Minister Rabuka acknowledged the author of the book, Dr. Anurag Subramani for his outstanding contribution and his talent as a creative skilled writer and historian.
“Apart from his meticulous research and graphic writing, Dr. Subramani has used his gift of spotting the unusual, the offbeat and the absurd.
“Dr. Anurag points out in his introduction to the anniversary book, that Fiji is a work in progress. In other words, we have not yet finished the task of nation building.”
Prime Minister Rabuka commended The Fiji Times for being a national institution that reflected the feelings and moods of the people in all their variety and perspectives.
The Head of Government also reaffirmed that media freedom remains an essential pillar of the open democracy that the People’s Coalition Government is continuing to build.
He also paid tribute to the founder of The Fiji Times, George Littleton Griffiths, who stood for press freedom and human rights.
The Prime Minister encouraged readers to explore the anniversary book as a means to learn from the past and appreciate Fiji’s incredible journey as a nation.
