Why did many Indians in Fiji refuse military service during World War II?

During World War II, many Indians in Fiji refused to serve in the military primarily due to political grievances stemming from their history as indentured workers and their unequal treatment within Fijian society.12

Specifically, Indians objected to the fact that army volunteers from Fiji were offered lower wages and inferior conditions compared to their European counterparts. Because of this refusal to serve, the military remained almost exclusively composed of indigenous Fijians, with the exception of a few European officers. These actions, alongside a refusal to cut cane at the low prices offered at the time, led other ethnic groups to label the Indian community as disloyal.12