Our Terms & Conditions | Our Privacy Policy
India commits to the progress of the Global South: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Fijian counterpart Sitiveni Rabuka at Hyderabad House, New Delhi, on August 25, 2025 (PMO Photo)
Venkat Raman
Auckland, August 25, 2025
The late summer air of New Delhi hung heavy and humid, a familiar embrace to those accustomed to the Subcontinent’s rhythms. Yet, within the resplendent halls of Hyderabad House, a different atmosphere prevailed today (Monday, August 25, 2025); one of profound diplomatic significance and quiet anticipation.
For this was not just another high-level meeting; it was a moment pregnant with historical resonance, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India welcomed his Fijian counterpart, Sitiveni Rabuka, on his maiden visit to India in his renewed capacity as the South Pacific Nation’s Leader.
It was a visit that, in its very essence, sought to bridge a chasm of decades and to chart a course for a future firmly anchored in shared aspirations.
Cordiality with candid talks
The two men, seasoned statesmen on their own parts, met with a formal cordiality that gradually gave way to a more natural and candid dialogue. Their talks were wide-ranging, as a shared understanding of their respective nations’ challenges and opportunities quickly emerged.
Mr Modi began by underscoring India’s commitment to the Global South, portraying India not as a leader, but as a co-traveller in the journey towards a more equitable world order.
This sentiment resonated deeply with the Fijian delegation, which included Health Minister Atonio Lalabalavu, and set a foundation of mutual respect.
The leaders acknowledged that India and Fiji may be oceans apart, but their aspirations for progress, peace, and security truly ‘sailed in the same boat.’
The discussions moved swiftly to substantive matters of bilateral cooperation.
Economic ties were a central focus, with both leaders exploring avenues to shore up trade and investment. Yet, it was in the realm of defence and maritime security that the conversations took on a particularly sharp and contemporary edge. With China’s relentless and expansive efforts to increase its strategic heft in the Pacific region, Fiji’s geographical position holds immense significance for India’s maritime security interests.
Taking Fiji higher on the economic plane-Bilateral talks at Hyderabad House, New Delhi, on August 25, 2025 (PMO Photo)
A Broad Action Plan
In recognition of this shared imperative, the two Prime Ministers agreed to a broad action plan to expand their defence cooperation. Acknowledging the particular vulnerabilities of a small island nation, Prime Minister Modi affirmed India’s readiness to provide training and equipment to strengthen Fiji’s maritime security capabilities. The firmed-up accords were then formalised in a signing ceremony, where seven pacts were inked to broaden cooperation across a range of areas, including capacity building and development. Prime Minister Modi’s assurance that India would also help Fiji with disaster response in the face of climate change, a very real threat to the nation, further cemented the sense of a deep and meaningful partnership.
Navigating the Tides of History
The present cordiality, however, stood in stark contrast to a period of profound turbulence in the bilateral relationship. To understand the gravity of Rabuka’s visit, one must trace the historical ties that bind these two nations, a connection that began in hardship.
It was in 1879 that the first Indian indentured labourers were taken to Fiji by the British to work on sugarcane plantations. Over generations, these labourers and their descendants, the Girmityas, forged a distinct Indo-Fijian identity, deeply interwoven into the fabric of the island nation, yet maintaining strong cultural and people-to-people ties with their ancestral homeland. This enduring link, however, was severely tested in the late 1980s.
In 1987, Mr Rabuka, then a military commander, orchestrated two coups d’état, ostensibly in response to the growing political influence of the Indo-Fijian community. These actions sent shockwaves far beyond Fiji’s shores. The political landscape of Fiji was upended, and the new government’s actions directly impacted its relationship with India.
The most precipitous and symbolic act was Rabuka’s decision to close down the Indian High Commission in Suva. India, deeply concerned by the developments and the treatment of its ethnic kin, had vocally condemned the coups. In a move that would define a particularly strained period, the Fijian authorities, under Rabuka’s command, expelled India’s then-acting High Commissioner, V K Singh. This act of diplomatic severing was an unprecedented low point, and it took years for the wounds to heal and for the relationship to be fully restored.
This historical reality, though unspoken in the formal press statements, lingered in the air, a testament to how far the two countries had come to stand side-by-side today. Rabuka’s visit, a year after President Droupadi Murmu’s journey to Fiji, was a testament to the patient and enduring efforts to re-establish trust.
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri exchanging an MoU with his Fijian counterpart at Hyderabad House, New Delhi, on August 25, 2025 (PMO Photo)
The Path Forward for Fiji
Beyond the symbolic visit and the renewed diplomatic ties, the political and social landscape of Fiji presents a complex set of challenges for Prime Minister Rabuka’s government. His return to power, while a democratic victory, has been viewed with a certain degree of trepidation by some, given his chequered past. He faces the daunting task of governing a nation grappling with persistent issues. The challenges of corruption, which have plagued Fiji’s political sphere for decades, are among the most significant.
Rabuka himself, having faced charges in the past related to his actions as a public servant, is keenly aware of the need to restore public faith in governmental institutions. His administration must demonstrate a resolute commitment to transparency and accountability to move beyond the shadows of its history.
Fiji’s economic development remains a precarious balancing act. The nation is heavily reliant on tourism, a sector particularly vulnerable to global shocks, as demonstrated by the recent pandemic. Diversifying the economy, strengthening infrastructure, and creating a stable environment for foreign investment are all high on the new government’s agenda.
In this regard, the pacts signed with India, particularly those related to investment and capacity building, offer a promising pathway.
Finally, the greatest long-term existential threat to Fiji is not political or economic, but environmental. As a low-lying island nation, Fiji is at the forefront of the climate crisis.
Rising sea levels, more powerful cyclones, and unpredictable weather patterns pose a direct threat to its coastline, its people, and its very existence. The dialogue with Prime Minister Modi on climate change and disaster response is a crucial acknowledgement of this reality. It reaffirms that in the coming years, international partnerships will not merely be about trade and defence, but about the fundamental shared challenge of survival.
Mr Rabuka’s visit to New Delhi was therefore more than a diplomatic courtesy call; it was a powerful statement of intent. It represented a deliberate choice to look past a difficult history and to embrace a future where both nations, despite their vast differences in size and scale, can work together as equals. The meeting was a clear sign that both India and Fiji are ready to forge a new and more resilient partnership, built on a foundation of mutual trust and a shared vision for a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
The discussions were not just about the pacts signed, but about the enduring bonds that, having survived storms of the past, are now ready to sail towards a brighter horizon.
Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.
Aggregated From –
Comments are closed.