Fijians to pay homage to their Girmityas in Auckland

Solemn meeting on May 7 at Malaeola Community Centre, Mangere

Standfirst: Indian Newslink joins thousands of Indo-Fijians in marking the 142^nd anniversary of the arrival of their ancestors in Fiji, with dreams of a better life and career. As they observe the event on May 14, they would be reminded of the sufferings and atrocities that their ancestors endured as indentured labourers (Girmityas) in a strange land. The world has perhaps never seen a community of people who have forever been chased by ill luck and misfortune all these years.
The Girmityas suffered the worst effects of bonded labour, racism and inhuman treatment. Since they landed 142 years ago unbeknown of what was in store for them, history has witnessed the rule of diabolism and a parade of unacceptable events that have had a telling impact not only on the actual sufferers but also on their ensuing generations.
The following article was written by Krish Naidu, President, Fiji Girmit Foundation of New Zealand on behalf of the Trustees and Executive Committee.
The Foundation will hold a Commemorative Meeting in homage to the ancestors of Indo-Fijians on May 7, 2021 at 630 pm at the Malaeola Community Centre located at 16 Waokauri Place in the South Auckland suburb of Mangere. More than 1000 people are expected to attend this free event. 
For more information, please email fijigirmitnz@gmail.com or presidentfgfnz@gmail.com

Enhancing awareness and respect

The Fiji Girmit Foundation of New Zealand was formed in 2013 to reconnect, reclaim and restore Fiji Indian history and create awareness among the descendants of the Girmityas on their tragic but fascinating early history.

In this regard, we organise commemorative events every year, marking the arrival of the first ship Leonidas to Fiji on May 14, 1879. This year’s event is special, as it 142nd Anniversary of Girmit in Fiji and because last year’s event had to be cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions.

How the treachery began

May 14 is a significant day in the history of Fiji Indians.

On this day in 1879, ‘Leonidas,’ the first ship carrying 481 Girmityas  481 arrived in Fiji. This was followed by 86 other ships transporting a total of 60,495 Indians who largely worked as slaves in sugarcane plantations.

The indenture system, called Girmit, succeeded slavery, which was abolished in 1833, creating an  acute labour shortage in British colonies. To cater to the labour needs, the British who ruled India then, recruited more than 1.2 million Indians to work in its colonies.

The indenture system was slavery by another name except that it was a contractual agreement for a period of five years. The illiterate Indian indentured workers, unable to pronounce the word ‘Agreement’ called it ‘Girmit,’ an acronym that came to identify that period (1879-1920).

They were known as ‘Girmityas.’

Girmityas at a plantation in Fiji during the indentured period (1879 to 1920)

 History manipulated

Alarmingly, the history books are silent on our early history and successive generations of our people have been estranged from knowing their true ancestry.

The manipulation of our tragic history means that we inherited a history of blank pages but scholars and writers from our community are belatedly filling the blank pages.

It is now clear that our Girmit history escaped records to protect those responsible for commission of atrocious crimes against the Girmityas. The working and living conditions of the Girmityas were so atrocious that Fiji had the highest rate of suicide in the world during the Girmit era.

In addition, Fiji had the highest rate of infanticide among the colonies that deployed indentured labour. One writer claimed that infanticide was a deliberate ploy of the plantation owners, as it freed the mothers to return to work without having to care for their babies.