Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna and the remaking of iTaukei leadership

By Archbishop Peter Loy Chong

Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna remains one of the towering figures of Fiji’s colonial history — a soldier, scholar and statesman who helped redefine iTaukei leadership at a time of profound change.

Although connected to high chiefly lineage as the grandson of Adi Asenaca, the second daughter of Ratu Seru Cakobau’s first wife, Sukuna was not among the highest-ranking chiefs because chiefly status followed the male line. Yet what he lacked in inherited rank, he more than made up for in intellect, discipline and vision.

Sukuna became the first overseas-educated Fijian, studying first in New Zealand and later at Wadham College, Oxford. His life was already exceptional before he returned home. During World War I, he served in France with the Foreign Legion and won the Medaille Militaire for bravery. In 1921, he was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple. He had become one of the best-educated and most accomplished Fijians of his generation.

But the Fiji he returned to was changing rapidly.

While Sukuna was overseas, the colonial government had weakened the power of chiefs. Officials argued that chiefs had failed to advance the iTaukei community and that traditional obligations were holding people back. The government shifted toward direct rule, restored Europeans to positions of authority at district and provincial levels, and pushed the idea of the individual farmer as the path to development. In 1916, the Native Administration was abolished, although chiefs and local officials still remained important at village level.

At the same time, Fiji’s social landscape was being reshaped by another major development — the end of the indenture system in 1920. Of the 62,837 Indians brought to Fiji under indenture, about 60 per cent chose to stay. Over time, they became central to the colony’s economy, especially in sugar production. Many grew cane, rice, cotton and bananas, while Indian business and professional migrants added further strength to the community.

By the early 20th century, a new identity was taking shape among Indians born in Fiji. They no longer saw India as home. Fiji was their homeland, and they increasingly demanded political equality, fair representation and secure land tenure. By 1956, Indo-Fijians outnumbered the iTaukei population, a pattern that continued until 1987.

This was the Fiji Sukuna stepped into: a colony where Indo-Fijians were rising economically and politically, Europeans claimed to be protecting iTaukei interests, and the iTaukei themselves were falling behind in modern economic development.

Sukuna rose at just the right moment. Governor Sir Philip Mitchell, a believer in neo-indirect rule, restored the Native Administration on January 1, 1945. He also appointed Sukuna to key roles in government, eventually making him Secretary for Fijian Affairs and Chairman of the Fijian Affairs Board in 1943 — the most influential office in iTaukei administration.

From that position, Sukuna helped shape the future of iTaukei governance.

He believed strongly that the Native Administration and the Bose Vakaturaga were essential for iTaukei advancement. But he did not want a simple return to the old colonial model. He wanted these institutions to promote social, economic and political development while protecting the foundations of iTaukei society.

Sukuna’s thinking was cautious and conservative. He did not believe that Western democratic ideas could be imposed suddenly on the iTaukei. In his view, development had to be gradual and suited to local conditions. He argued that equality was important, but that communities had to be prepared for it through education, leadership and experience in local government.

At an administrative conference in 1944, Sukuna outlined three basic principles. First, Fiji was an agricultural country, so the relationship between people and land had to be protected. Second, the disintegration of iTaukei society had to be prevented. Third, village life had to be made more attractive and sustainable through better housing and social services.

He also believed that real development depended on broader organisation beyond the kinship group, access to internal and external markets, increased production of cash crops, and education suited to the Fijian environment.

But Sukuna understood a central problem: the chiefs, on whom the system depended, were not always equipped for the demands of modern leadership. His answer was to educate a new generation of leaders. He supported overseas education for both chiefs and commoners. One of those who benefited from this vision was Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, who would later become Fiji’s first Prime Minister.

Sukuna also pushed administrative reform. He renamed the Native Administration as the Fijian Administration, reduced the number of provinces from 19 to 14 and districts from 186 to 74, and promoted the idea of larger villages with better access to resources and services. He also employed more iTaukei commoners in the administration.

Yet despite these changes, progress was limited. Much of the reform remained internal to the Fijian Administration itself. The iTaukei community did not advance as quickly in economic and political life as Sukuna had hoped. His strong belief in preserving the traditional way of life and the chiefly system meant that the administration continued, in many ways, to shield the iTaukei from wider global economic and political change.

That is the enduring complexity of Sukuna’s legacy. He was a reformer, but a careful one. He wanted progress, but not at the cost of social disintegration. He saw tradition not as a barrier, but as the foundation on which change should be built.

Sukuna led the Fijian Administration for about a decade before retiring in 1954. He was succeeded by G.K. Roth, another supporter of neo-indirect rule. But Sukuna’s influence extended far beyond his years in office.

He helped shape the institutions, leadership and political thinking that would define modern Fiji. More than that, he remains a symbol of a difficult balancing act that Fiji continues to face — how to embrace change while holding fast to identity, land and tradition.

Today, Fiji faces a new form of colonialism coming in the face of globalization. Globalization represents the power of multinational corporations and powerful companies that are driven by market and profit making. In Fiji we see powerful companies extracting, minerals, sand, river-gravel, water while at same time destroying our clean and pristine environment. In the Pacific we also see the threats of deep-sea mining. The Republic of Fiji constitution (NO.40) protects our rights to clean and safe environment . However, our government has failed to implement the constitution and allowed companies to destroy our environment.

In the face of new-colonialism, we need leaders like Ratu Sukuna who can balance economic development and the protection our rights, environment and identity.