Mahendra Chaudhary's personal goal is to weaken Fiji's reliance on the tourism industry.
How does he intend to do this?
Well, he convinces the interim PM (who is really too stupid to know any better) that hotel developers are making millions of dollars in profit and only a small part of this is being realised by the Fiji government.
He and Pramesh Chand then hoodwink Bai into agreeing to implement policies that they say are aimed at recovering some of this wealth from the hotel developers.
Bai of course sees the wisdom in this because if theres one thing he knows, its that his Government's coffers are empty.
What Bai, in his unfathomable ignorance, does not realise is that the policies suggested by Mahen and Pramesh are in fact aimed at scaring away potential hotel developers.
Once Bai agrees, Mahen and Pramesh implement their policies through the Finance Ministry and FIRCA. Sometimes, more direct action is taken, like when Mahen used his boys Felix and Urai to do the dirty work at Natadola.
But what is the purpose of this exercise, you might ask?
In short, Mahen and Pramesh want to implement a policy of Indianisation in Fiji.
Mahen is not being racist, although he will gladly play the race card if it suits him.
He is just being a politician, and a very shrewd one at that.
What he really wants is to revive Fiji's dependence on sugar.
Why? Because 98 percent of sugarcane growers in Fiji are Indians.
Their grievances (ranging from expiring leases to expiring sugar protocols) will always be a source of employment for a fighter like Mahen.
In other words, in order to keep his job, Mahen needs Fiji to rely more on sugar and less on tourism.
If Fiji diversifies, like everyone is saying it should, then Mahen will lose control of his electoral powerbase (the sugarcane belts) and will have to return to being a Trade Unionist, if they'll have him back.
Long term, Mahen is not doing this for himself. Afterall, he is getting by in years.
He is doing it for his son and heir apparent, Rajendra Chaudhary.
So you see, Mahen has hoodwinked us all.
He has whispered sweet nothing into Bai's ears, and Bai, whether by some misplaced sense of patriotism or just pure lunacy (or greed), has believed Mahen and allowed the Ministry of Finance to spearhead the destruction of Fiji's only money making industry - tourism. An industry where it is the indigenous Fijians, who for once, reap the benefits.
When the dust finally settles, Fiji will find itself without tourism as a major money earner. And, now that Gold is in doubt, we will have no choice but to turn once again to sugar, just as Mahen and Pramesh had planned it.
When that happens the good old days of Indian dominance in national politics will return in full force.
Whenever Mahen wants something done, the sugarcane growers will hold the national economy to ransom by threatening to go on strike.
When this finally happens, Bai, Epeli Ganilau, Leweni and Roko Lui and other key military officers will be left scratching their heads wondering what the hell just happened?
They will of course all have their 12 pieces of sliver in their pockets because that was their goal.
But they will never fully appreciate just how Mahen was able use their greed to hijack the country and how he used Fijian soldiers to overthrow a Fijian Government to do it.
Bai and his greedy bunch must be ruing the day when FMF soldiers finally realise what it really means to continue to follow the orders of these self-serving military leaders.
In the short term, it will mean new 4x4s and big houses for the pro-Bai officers and small pay increases and promotions for the rank and file.
It will mean the dawn of a new age for Fiji where we are completely reliant on sugar (ie. Mahen's goodwill) for our very survival.
It will mean the destruction of the GCC and all the traditional values we, as Fijians, hold dear.
And most of all, it will mean our slow but sure demise, spiritually, culturally and economically.
