It is with great interest that I have read all the stories, articles, letters and messages that were published by The Fiji Times in commemoration of 142nd anniversary of the arrival of our girmitiya from India.
And I must thank all the individuals and organisations for sharing their perspectives on this significant historical event. Girmit has ended, but its story will never end.
No matter how much is said and written in their tribute it will never be enough; they deserve much more.
For they came, they toiled, they endured extreme atrocities, but they persevered and conquered in laying the foundation for a modern Fiji.
They gave much more than what they took or were given to them.
Today we are all enjoying the fruits of their hard labour. That is the legacy they have bequeathed to us.
Now we can proudly acclaim that hum us desh ke waasi hai jisse humare girmitiyo ne apne khoon aur panisa se seecha hai.
Irrespective of the place of our abode the girmitiya blood will always run in our veins.
Arrival of indentured labourers
Between 1879 and 1916, it is reported that 60,553 Indian indentured labourers were recruited and brought to Fiji to work in sugar cane plantations owned and managed by the Colonial Sugar Company of Australia. The ship transporting the first batch of indentured labourers arrived in Fiji on May 14 1879. After serving their contracts about 40 per cent of them returned to India while the rest decided to continue to live in Fiji. The descendants followed their footsteps and embraced Fiji as their motherland. They continue to contribute immensely towards all spheres of national development with same zeal and conviction despite the political upheavals of 1987 and 2000. Many of them were displaced after the expiry of their land leases and have moved to resettle in other parts of the country. It is unfortunate that they are being perceived as being well off when in reality most of them still live poverty. The word “girmit” was borrowed from “agreement” which refers to the five-year contract executed with the indentured labourers who were later known as girmitiya. Because of pronunciation difficulty they found it easier to say girmit. Given their indispensable meaning both girmit and girmitiya will remain synonymous with the life of servitude our ancestors suffered during their indentureship.
Equal rights
Records show that the then Secretary of State for India, Lord Salisbury, was concerned about the welfare and rights of the indentured labourers who would choose to stay back in Fiji. This is clearly articulated in his Despatch Note which reads … “above all things we must confidently expect, as an indispensable condition of the proposed arrangements, … the Colonial laws and their administration will be such that Indian settlers who have completed their terms of service to which they are agreed as return for the expense of bringing them to the Colonies, will be in all respects free men, with privileges no whit inferior to those of any other class of Her Majesty’s subjects resident in the colonies”. Lord Salisbury’s intent was very explicit in that Indians were to be accorded the same status and privileges as those enjoyed by other citizens. However, its legitimacy became the subject of many political debates particularly during the formulation of the Deed of Cession. Whilst the 2013 Constitution has addressed Indo-Fijians’ their citizenship and political rights land tenancy issues, however, remain unresolved.
Girmit Multicultural Centre
At the advent of 1978 it was realised that it was getting close to 100 years of the first Indian Indentured Labourers brought to Fiji from India. A group of prominent Indian leader got together and mooted the idea that it was only appropriate that something should be done to celebrate the centenary of the first arrival and if possible build some sort of memorial to recognise their sacrifice and hard work. The proposal was well received and supported by the Indian community. Subsequently, it gave birth to the establishment of the Fiji Girmit Council with all faith based organisations with roots to India as its founding members. The chairman YP Reddy, and former secretary Dijendra Singh played a key role in soliciting the support of the Alliance Government for the memorial. The then Prime Minister of Fiji, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, gave a cash grant of $150,000 from the Prime Minister’s Fund and also gifted 12.5 acres of prime land where the Girmit Centre is located. A donation of $50,000 was also received from the Government of India. Many other donors including corporate organisations, commercial banks, Fiji Sugar Corporation, individuals and well-wishers also contributed generously towards this project. The inauguration of the Fiji Girmit Multicultural Centre by the late Indira Gandhi, the former prime minister of India, on September 21 1981 marked a historical event and the beginning of a new relationship between the two countries. This living monument is our only priceless heritage in the memory of our ancestors and we must treasure, protect and preserve it for the future generation. Unfortunately, the pandemic has again derailed our plans for celebrating Girmit Remembrance Day this year.
Preserving heritage
Over the years the Council, in its quest to keep our culture, music, arts and language alive, has been providing training at nominal fees to the people of Lautoka. Currently we have over 140 students enrolled in different disciplines including bharatnatyam, tabla, vocal harmonium, Hindi language and yoga classes at the centre. Lately we have witnessed a surge of interest for learning music and arts as can be vouched by the unprecedented increase in our intakes. This is indeed a very positive development and is a testimony of the importance being given for inculcating culture and good values in our children. However, the burgeoning class sizes have placed considerable
constraints on our resources. There is increased demand for more instruments and accessories and bigger space.
For the past several years the organisation has been operating on a deficit budget. Our challenges have been further exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19 on our revenue. As a NGO we do not receive any grant for our core budget. Lack of funding has placed a number of our projects including the construction of a Girmit museum, recording Girmit stories and venturing into income generating initiatives on the back burner. On a more positive note, our newly incepted women’s wing will be embarking on community outreach programs aimed at empowering our women once normalcy is restored. Our buildings are in dire straits after weathering many cyclones and natural disasters and in need of major maintenance and upgrading. As descendants of girmitiyas we all have a stake in this institution for it belongs to all of us. It is time for us to ask not what Fiji Girmit Council can do, but rather how we can reach out to lend support to the Council in preserving this ancestral heritage. Happy belated Girmit Day to all.
- Selwa Nandan is the Secretary of the Fiji Girmit Council. The views and opinions expressed are his and not necessarilyshared by this newspaper.
