22 hours Ago By FijiTimes
FORTY Suvavou villagers moved in and took over a cement block-making factory at Lami on October 12, 1989. According to an article published by The Fiji Times on Friday, October 13, 1989, the men sealed off all entrances to the factory and a truck depot beside the complex claiming they were owed more than $1400 in land rent by D Narayan Industries which ran the factory. Barricades were placed across gates leading into the yard and a tent was set up outside the main door to the factory office.
The report said the men then sat down to drink yaqona under the tent while guards were posted at the gates. A spokesperson for the Tui Suva, Metui Mudunavosa, told The Fiji Times that the villagers decided to take over the D Narayan Industries complex after complaints to the Native Land Trust Board were not dealt with. No comments were available from the NLTB or from Dip Narayan, owner of the company.
“We complained four times to the NLTB that land rent for 1988 and 1989 had not been paid but nothing was done,” Mr Mudunavosa said. “On Wednesday, we met board officials, and they said they would serve the company with a notice of eviction but this was not a good enough excuse for us, so we warned them that we would close down operations at the complex.” He also claimed D Narayan Industries was using the land “illegally”.
“In actual fact, the land has not been leased to D Narayan Industries to our knowledge. The land was leased to D Narayan Brothers Limited in the 1970s but that company went bankrupt and the factory was closed down. “For more than two years, the NLTB has known that rental for the land has not been coming to us, the taukei ni vanua (landowners) and has done nothing about it.
Then, the lease is being operated by somebody else and we have not been informed, We are fed up.” The title to the area (about one hectare) showed it had been leased to D Narayan Brothers on December 21, 1970, and then mortgaged to a number of banks until October 10, 1983. But the lease was again mortgaged to the National Bank of Fiji until it was transferred to the commissioner of Inland Revenue on November 11, 1988.
Landowners also claimed the company had illegally sub-leased part of the land to a trucking company. Mr Mudunavosa said the owner of the trucking company came to the village (Suvavou) on Wednesday night with a sevusevu and informed them he had been told to pay $800 a month in rent. “He has also been told to and has paid six months rent or $4800 in advance.
“It is grossly unfair that we should be paid $700 a year, a payment that is not even being made — when this company illegally sub-leases part of the land for $800 a month.” Villagers at the complex told The Fiji Times the original block of land leased was less than what was occupied by D Narayan Industries. They claimed that over the years, the company had slowly extended its fences until it ended up with more than that was leased.
Mr Mudunavosa said after having meetings at the village, they decided to approach the NLTB for help, but nothing was done. “It was then that we decided to move in and we are going to stay here — we will not be moved from our ancestors’ land,” said a villager who identified himself as Joe. Mr Mudunavosa said Suvavou villagers were willing to take the matter to court and fight for the return of the land and payment of the arrears.
“There is no way we want this D Narayan Industries to remain on our land after what he has done.” When The Fiji Times visited the site on October 12, 1989, the villagers were meeting D Narayan Industries owner Mr Narayan and his lawyer Kitione Vuataki..
