HIS EXCELLENCY RATU WILIAME MAIVALILI KATONIVERE - SPEECH AT THE SHREE SANATAN DHARAM SABHA NAWAKA 100-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

 

Members of the Board of Trustees and Management of the Shree Sanatan Dharam Sabha of  Nawaka, Nadi,

 

The President of the Shree Sanatan Dharam Sabha, Nawaka, Nadi, Mr. Rajeet Singh, 

 

Followers of the Shree Sanatan Dharam Sabha,

 

Distinguished Guests,

 

Ladies and Gentlemen. 

 

 

 

Bula Vinaka, Namaste and a very good evening to you all.

 

 

The year two thousand and twenty-four has been a year of event anniversaries, jubilees, and centennial celebrations commemorating historical milestones and journeys that have contributed to the growth and maturity of the respective institutions.
 

The existence and co-existence of the Shree Sanatan Dharam Sabha for a hundred years in our nation's multi-religious and multi-ethnic society is a significant beginning to your further progress. It marks not only the milestone growth of the Sabha, but it also demonstrates a sense of unity and belonging among its followers.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I acknowledge the organizing committee for the invitation to be part of your auspicious celebration. I acknowledge Na Momo na Tui Nawaka, Ratu Joeli Bulu Derenalagi Naevo, for his presence, and whose vanua sits the Shree Krishna Temple of the Shree Sanatan Dharam Sabha.

 

The Sabha is an integral component of our nation which strongly promotes a melting pot of ethnic, cultural, and religious beliefs. Its patrons, share a historical kinship with Fiji, an affinity that the Girmitiyas established in the 1800s. We have all, indeed, come a long way. 

 

The occasion of the Centennial anniversary of the Shree Krishna Temple in Nawaka is a visual projection of the first generation of Girmitiyas, who unwaveringly integrated into our nation with their intrinsic religions, symbols, language, way of living, and cultural qualities. 

 

Anniversaries offer opportunities of reflection. I encourage you to look back on the journey that has led you to this centennial celebration. Reflect on hardships and challenges encountered as well as on positive moments and draw from them the lessons that will strengthen your interpersonal relationships within the organization, and affiliation with people and communities external to you and the Sabha. 

 

As the Head of State, it is my inherent vision and mission to instill within all Fiji citizens and non-citizens the essence of unity. I encourage us all to continue to foster the values of inclusivity, respect, and harmonious interaction wherever we may serve, within the comfort of our respective groupings, more so, as we reach out to others. 

I acknowledge the impactful contribution of the members of the Shree Sanatan Dharam Sabha to national development, to education, commerce and during natural disasters. I acknowledge the diaspora, in general, who have shaped our shared socio-economic landscape. 

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, as you continue with your week-long festivities, I wish you all a very reverent celebration filled with light, peace, and hope. In all that we do, moving forward, let us strive to create a footprint that will be appreciated and advanced by our future generations.

 

May God bless you all and may God bless Fiji.  

 

 

Vinaka Vakalevu, Dhanyavaad, and Thank You.