Victory Speech by Prime Minister Hon. Jeremiah Manele

Your Excellency, Sir David Vunagi, Governor General of Solomon Islands;
Fellow Members of Parliament;
Members of the diplomatic corps;
Members of the media;
Ladies and gentlemen
My good people of Solomon Islands, first I give praise and glory to our Father in Heaven for His continuous protection, guidance and blessings.
Let me also congratulate our people of our beloved country for electing their Members of Parliament on 17 April 2024. The people have spoken. Solomon Islands on that very day, in the words of the General Secretary of the g7+ who were observers during the election, celebrated a “festival of democracy”.
Today, the Members of Parliament that you elected have discharge their first duty, and that is electing the Prime Minister. I humbly stand before you, as your Members of Parliament have graciously elected me to serve you as your Prime Minister and of our beloved country. Past Prime Minister’s election have been met with act of violence and destruction. Our economy and livelihoods have suffered because of this violence. However today, we show the world that we are better than that. We must respect and uphold the democratic process of electing our Prime Minister and set an example for our children and their children.
I wish to pay tribute to the people of Guadalcanal for graciously giving up their land and allowing us to host our capital, Honiara. I continue to acknowledge the past, present and future traditional customary landowners of this place upon where we stand today and make this call for us inhabitants of Honiara, to show to our Landowners the respect that they should be given. Honiara has become home to many of us and we must treat it as such.
I also acknowledge the other candidate for Prime Minister, Hon. Mathew Wale and the other coalition group. I trust that as the alternative government you will be vigilant in providing the check and balance to the Government of National Unity and Transformation. Whilst we may be on opposing sides, we all have one ultimate purpose that is to serve our people and country. May God grant you wisdom in the discharge of your duty to our People.
My good people, it is reported that the recovery of the global economy is steady but slow. We as a country continue on the recovery path after the COVID -19 global pandemic and 2021 riots. The recent report by CBSI on the state of our economy is concerning and calls for a more focused and aggressive approach. It is not an easy task, but we will be reaching out to all relevant stakeholders as we progress on our road to recovery.
Our immediate task now is to appoint Cabinet and we will do that in the coming days. The next business to attend to is the Parliament meeting when all Member of Parliament will be taking their oaths before electing the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. I am sure that all Members of Parliament look forward to taking their oath.
The Government for National Unity and Transformation has already begun work on our Policy and 100 days program. We hope to unveil it soon. There are also a number of legislations that are ready to come before Parliament. These Bills include the Value Added Tax Bill, Special Economic Zone Bill, Mineral Resources Bill, Forestry Bill and others.
Cabinet will meet to decide on the priority legislative and policy programs for 2024, which includes whether we need to revise the 2024 Budget.

I am very humbled by the trust that my fellow Members of Parliament have bestowed upon me. This is indeed a historic moment for my people of Isabel Province as well, to have one of their sons as the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands. I will discharge my duties diligently and with integrity. I will at all times put the interest of our people and country above all other interests.
Leading a nation is never an easy task. I ask that you remember me and your Government in your daily prayers so we may serve as our Lord command.
My good people of Solomon Islands, I pledge my loyalty and fealty to our National Anthem, our Flag, the Constitution and our nation.
We are one people. We are one nation. We are Solomon Islands.
To God be the Glory great things He has done.
May God bless you all, May God bless the 12th Parliament and May God bless Solomon Islands from shore to shore.
Source: Solomon Islands Government, Department of Information

UK “Indian” Prime Minister meets India’s Prime Minister

Who be the best living example of a UK Indian than incumbent UK Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Rishi Sunak third generation Indo-African migrant and the UK born second generation Indo British.
His grandparents, though not Girmityas but example of Indian migrants initially residents in a third world country, in this case in the East African region, then migrants to western democratic nation.
Also, unlike Girmityas mainly from West and Southern Indian, his grant parents were from Punjab in the North. A practicing Hindu though on few occasions as UK Prime Minister is required to participate in Judeo-Christian rituals as seen in His Majesty King Charle III coronation where he read a Biblical text; Colossians 1:9-17, which emphasises the love of Christ and the importance of service to others, aligns with the values of the British monarchy and the theme of the coronation liturgy, “Called to Serve”” In a future issue of your Brisbane Indian Times a more explicit and well researched commentary of the first British Prime Minister will be thoroughly expounded for your delight. That, we promise!
A major number of Indo Brits entered the UK in a rather ironic situation. These were descendants of Girmityas the British transported to the Caribbeans between 1838 and 1917.

Nearly half-a-million Indians under contracts to work on Caribbean plantations under the then British colonial rulers.
Soon after the second world war the UK experienced imminent and urgent workers shortage needed to rebuild the British Iles after the ruthless devastation of London and other major centers.
So, in 1948 these people and their descendants were invited to take up jobs in struggling industries and municipalities in rebuilding for Britain.
Now, passionately known as the ‘Windrush generation’ whose numbers has exponential increased in this modern Britian.
In a future issue of your Brisbane Indian Times we will explore “Windrush scandal” and the, recognition or lack thereof of one group of Windrush migrants in the Indo-Caribbean community and Britain as a whole.
From the mainland India, however, the period of highest migration to England was 1955-1975. At one stage in the Bradford area alone numbered about 13,000 Indians. 46% were Punjabis and 43.3% were from Gujarat.
Modern day UK have Indo-Brits from nearly every corner of the Indian Diaspora Global community.

Historical Girmit Public Holiday

By the time this issue of your Brisbane Indian Times is circulated, we in Australia would have celebrated many Girmit Anniversary Celebrations in our Cities and Towns, including in many Nations including the Fiji Islands.
Suffice to mention that only this Fiji Government since the Girmit era has paused to really commemorate and afford the long-awaited due credence for the sacrifice our forbearers endured by declaring a Girmit Remembrance Public holiday.
The Rt Hon Fiji Prime Minister of Fiji, Major General (Retired) Sitiveni Rabuka first ever Girmit day speech is share here.

In the next issue of your Brisbane Indian Times, we will share with you his speech which will be delivered on May 18, 2024 in the Deo Family Foundation sponsored Girmit day celebration here in Queensland.

Global focus on India

With respect, as this May edition of your Brisbane Indian Times come to print, we hear prophesies by some Indian election 2024 pundits that the present occupant of the “Panchavati” will extend his stay in these glories aboard for another 5 years.
Yes, the enviously sought after residency the Panchavati, the highly esteemed official residence of the Indian Prime Minister on 12 acres of prime real estate, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi.
The incumbent resident of the Panchvati, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi, pictured here being conferred the Companion of the Order of Fiji, Fiji’s most prestigious and Highest Civil Award presented here by Fiji’s Prime Minister, Major General (Retired) Sitiveni Rabuka representing the Government and people of Fiji.
Prime Minister Narendra D Modi hails from a non-political family was born on September 17th, 1950, in Vadnagar in the Mehsana District, State of Gujarat, India.
Controversy about his caste has been on going and fuelled by commentators who probably has a political axe to grind, like Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Nonetheless, the former Train Station Tea seller who rose to be the Prime Minister of the world’s largest democracy himself put this caste topic to rest when he affirms his heritage in self-identification as the “sabse bada OBC” (a prominent member of the Other Backward Classes).
The Republic of Indian, in the English language, India is widely referred to as “Bhārat Gaṇarājya”. Of course, in Hindi we refer to India as “भारत”, Bhārat. While in Bengal however, India is referred to as “ভারত”, transliterated as Bharôt.
The Indian Government website, india.gov.in profiles excellently that” India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world with a kaleidoscopic variety and rich cultural heritage”.

Hon Prime Minister Narendra D Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party is seeking another unprecedented third term in office, for increased majority numbers in the “Lok Sabha “, the House of the People, the Lower House of Indian’s bicameral Parliament. A feat achieved only by Shri Mahatma Gandhi’s political heir, Barrister and first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. (1947 – 1964)
The Indian election 2024 is more than an unprecedented historical event with global magnitude. It is indeed a humongous democratic exercise where 969 million Indian voters are expected to cast their vote. That’s 26 million new registered voters since the 2019 elections. Only the brilliance of the Indian mind could strategize such gigantic electoral operations to immaculate precision headed by the Chief Electoral Commissioner of India Shri Rajiv Kumar.
Intricately, the Election Commission of India has synchronised an electoral plan to ensure equal opportunity afforded to each of the 969 million Indian Citizens to cast their vote.
Equal opportunity indeed, even for a geographically isolated solitary lone voter, a monk, Mahant Haridasji Udasinm residing in the dense forests of Gir, home to the Asiatic lion. A unique polling booth has been set up for this single voter. The Election Commission of India, true to her principle that every vote counts. Well, I do not know about you, but us in Brisbane Indian Times, in moments like this lift our heads in pride and gratitude for our India heritage. An endeared demonstration of India’s commitment to democratic processes a testament in the lengths it goes to ensure every citizen can exercise their right to vote.
Our Monk Udasinm’s pooling station in the Lion infested Gir forest is just one of the 10,500 polling Stations over the 82 polling days, manned by around 15,000,000 polling officials travelling by foot, road, special train, helicopter, boat and sometimes elephant.
These figures are mind-blowing, so why not take a glass of water before you continue to enjoy reading Brisbase Indian Times take of this global phenomenon.
Now, let’s breath a bit and equate some semblances say in numeracy in relation to other nations voter numbers. Let’s do a bit of arithmetic of voter numbers; Australia – 17M, Argentina – 36M, Brazil – 156M, Indonesia – 204M, Pakistan – 128M, Bangladesh – 119M, Russia – 114, South Africa – 27M, USA – 168M. All these 9 major populace countries combine would probably equal India’s 969M Indian registered voters. India’s registered voter figure of 969M is around a sixth of the world population.
Credible political commentators predict that Hon Prime Minister Narendra D Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party will be returned to office, this time with an even larger majority over the Congress and coalition partners.
Prime Minister Narendra D Modi’s vision for post-modern India ironically may reverberate the industrial and modernity vision of the father of the Congress, Indian first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
On a rare occasion Prime Minister Nehru’s vision was in loggerhead to Mahatma Gandhi “model was “swadeshi”, self-reliance—advocating simple home production of basic goods, promoting self-sufficiency in the village homes, and a spinning wheel in every hut”.
Prime Minister Nehru sought self-sufficiency in industrialization paddling his central objective “to get rid of the appalling poverty of the people.” His vision for India were in technology and progress, in machines and industrialization.
Seventy-seven years on from the Ghandi-Nehru era the geopolitical and global economic landscape have dramatically metamorphosed to the, aeronautical, IT and Digital spheres.
In our post-modern contemporary world economy, India, a far cry from the manual spinning wheel, now, the largest global exporter of IT.
Global Business and Strategic Technology provider and Consultants, GARTNER and STATISTA, affirms, India holds about 55% of global IT outsourcing share.
The largest consumer of India’s outsourcing services is the US at around 60%.
It is not at all surprising therefore that major Tech conglomerates in the US are reported to have very close ties with Prime Minister Modi and his Government.
Big Tech Company’s like Apple’s expansion into India has turbo charged Prime Ministers Modi chances for political supremacy in India after June 4th, 2024.
The Modi Government is known to have established in depth discussion with a large number of powerful Silicon Valley Bosses.
In a future issue of the Brisbane Indian Times, we will explore further India’s prestigious dominance in these spaces.
As we earnestly wait for the result of the Lok Sabha election the US Indian diaspora has been reported to be severally right across the US conducting Havan for Prime Minister Modi’s resounding victory!
Will Prime Minister Narendra D Modi continue to scribe the “Panchavati” as his home address for the next five years?
That is can only now be determined by the 969,000,000 registered voters of motherland Bhārat Gaṇarājya – India.

New Mayor and Councillors eager to get to work in Logan

New City of Logan Mayor Jon Raven and 12 Councillors have been sworn in for the next four-year term.
The elected members took their Declaration of Office at a ceremony in front of family and friends at the Logan Entertainment Centre this morning.
Two new Councillors – Nathan St Ledger (Division 4) and Paul Jackson (Division 5) – join 10 Councillors from the 2020-24 term, who were either successful in the recent local government election or returned unopposed.
Mayor Raven said his priorities for the next four years include changing the city’s reputation to bring investment, jobs and opportunity for Logan residents.
“We are the youngest, most diverse and fastest growing city in the state,” Councillor Raven said.

“This is our moment. It’s not once in a lifetime, nor once in a generation.
“This is it. Logan is ready to launch.”
Cr Raven said he wanted to encourage the brightest minds to help build the best city possible.
“Thirty per cent of our population is aged under 18, but they are 100 per cent of our future and they deserve local opportunities for work, study and fun,” he said.

The elected members for 2024-28 are:
• Mayor Jon Raven
• Councillor Lisa Bradley (Division 1)
• Councillor Teresa Lane (Division 2)
• Councillor Mindy Russell (Division 3)
• Councillor Nathan St Ledger (Division 4)
• Councillor Paul Jackson (Division 5)
• Councillor Tony Hall (Division 6)
• Councillor Tim Frazer (Division 7)
• Councillor Jacob Heremaia (Division 8)
• Councillor Scott Bannan (Division 9)
• Councillor Miriam Stemp (Division 10)
• Councillor Natalie Willcocks (Division 11)
• Councillor Karen Murphy (Division 12)
“The Council chosen by our community is the right combination of experience, enthusiasm and fresh ideas and we want Logan to live up to its potential,” Cr Raven said.
“I believe that by working together we can achieve great things for our city and our community.”
A Post-Election Meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 10 at 10am for Council to appoint the city’s Deputy Mayor, Standing Committee Chairs and other representative positions, as well as adopting a calendar of meetings for 2024.
The meeting will be livestreamed at youtube.com/user/logancitycouncil