In 1984, approximately 300 student teachers took to the streets of Suva to voice their opposition to the government’s volunteer service scheme. The protestors, representing the University of the South Pacific and the Fiji Institute of Technology, marched to the office of the Minister for Education, Dr. Ahmed Ali, demanding his presence to address their concerns.
However, Deputy Secretary for Education Hari Ram informed the students that Dr. Ali was in Labasa on official business. Ram accepted two petitions from the students on behalf of Dr. Ali.
As reported by The Fiji Times on October 20, 1984, the petitions, signed by roughly 500 students, criticized the scheme initiated by Dr. Ali, labeling it as “partial slavery.” The student teachers chanted slogans such as “We want justice, Ali must go… Ali must go,” during their 30-minute march from the Suva bus stand to the Ministry of Education headquarters on Selbourne Street.
The demonstrators wore black armbands and carried signs with messages like “Fiji is not for a dictator” and “Why we; why not you Ali.” Their presence drew the attention of office workers who halted their activities to observe the march.
“We came here to protest in the Pacific way and we have done that even though Ali may have run away,” stated Gyaneshwar Raju, the leader of the protesting students. The two petitions included a total of 25 points, in which the students expressed their lack of confidence in Dr. Ali and his permanent secretary, Narsi Raniga.