Dear Editor,
The death of Dr Churaumanie Bissundyal is not only a deep loss to his family but also to the literary community. He emerged as a prolific post-colonial writer and made an indelible mark on the local literary landscape. But sadly his worth was not readily recognized by a few locally, imprisoned in their own literary ego along with others in the People’s Progressive Party who were too power drunk to allow him the opportunity to nurture younger minds. As one of his close friends, he expressed some of his bitter feelings about personal experiences locally to me, but was magnanimous. Churaumanie possessed a determined mind and journeyed to greener pastures. At the Fiji National University he was a star in the academic and literary circles. Today my friend is gone but his literary works will forever be part of that landscape.
Yours faithfully,
Dhanraj Bhagwandin
New York
