From indenture to belonging: Bihari’s descendants return to their Fijian village

A powerful and emotional cere­mony that bridged generations and cultures was witnessed at Nabu­kadra Village in Ra on September 27.

Descendants of an Indian indentured labourer, Bihari, were formally wel­comed home to their Fijian village, ful­filling a century-old bond of adoption and acceptance.

Villagers were emotional as six gen­erations of an Indo-Fijian family from Savusavu performed the traditional cara sala ceremony.

The ceremony is to rekindle, renew and strengthen kinship and relation­ships among families and blood lines.

But this was no ordinary homecom­ing. It was the culmination of a story that began in the waning days of the Girmit era, a story of a lonely boy, a benevolent chief, and a promise of be­longing that echoed through time.

The story traces back to 1916, before the Girmit system was abolished in 1920.

Six generations of Bihari aka (Ratu Timoci Kapaiwai) with Ratu Nimatari Kapaiwai, (great grandson of the late Turaga na Gonesau Ratu Meli Salabogi).

Supplied

A young man named Bihari, who had arrived alone from Bihar, India, found himself lost and estranged after a disa­greement with his group.

Wandering in Bureiwai, Ra, his fate was changed forever when he was found by the late Turaga na Gonesau, Ratu Meli Salabogi, the chief then of Nabukadra Village.

Defying the conventions of the time, and even the concerns of figures of Fijians chiefs such as Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, who feared it would set a prec­edent, Ratu Meli made a profound deci­sion.

He adopted the young man, renaming him Ratu Timoci Salabogi Kapaiwai, and formally registered him into his mataqali (clan) Navokavoka, tokatoka (tribe) Bau, making him a true son of Nabukadra.

“Our grandfather did not care what others thought. He saw a human being in need, a son without a father, and he opened his heart and his home,” said Ratu Tanoa Visawaqa, one of the sur­viving grandsons of Ratu Meli Salabo­gi, who led the welcoming ceremony.

The family, led by Narain Sharma, a Fiji National University lecturer and a direct grandson of Ratu Timoci and his grandsons, Satya Nand, Suruj Deo and their wives and children, arrived bearing the traditional symbols of re­spect and humility.

They performed their sevusevu (pres­entation of kava), their boka (ceremo­nial apology), and presented gifts of food, dalo, a pig, bales of cloth, and other essentials, laying their offerings at the feet of their ancestral clan.

Tears flowed freely as Ratu Nimatari Kapaiwai addressed the family.

“Today, we close the circle,” he de­clared, his voice resonating with au­thority and warmth.

“You are no longer visitors. From this day forward, you are known as Kai Nabukadra. You now have the right to boldly declare that you are kai Ra.”

A huge feast, prepared by the mataqa­li Navokavoka, sealed the covenant, symbolically welcoming the descend­ants back into the fold as full members of the clan and village.

For Mr Sharma, the day was the fulfil­ment of a lifelong dream.

“We have carried this story in our hearts for generations,” he said.

“To stand here, on the land where our grandfather was given a new lease of life and a new name, is overwhelming. This is not just about history, it is about identity. “We are a living testament to the fact that family is not defined by blood alone, but by love, acceptance, and courage.”

As a final act of love and respect, Mr Narain led his family to the sacred bur­ial ground in Nukudavia and wrapped bales of clothes around the grave of the late Ratu Meli Salabogi, and his son Ratu Mara Kapaiwai.

Also present was a great-grandson, Dr Neeraj Sharma, a medical doctor at Aspen Hospital.

Satya Nand meets Ratu Timoci Kapaiwai (red shirt).

Supplied

 Origin

Interestingly, the family’s journey had unfolded in Vanua Levu.

Ratu Timoci Salabogi Kapaiwai, first established his life in Saqani, then to Suweni.

He later moved to Savusavu, a strate­gic relocation that brought him closer to the Dewala kinsmen, a people to whom the Turaga na Gonesau is close­ly linked.

It was there, within this network of familial and chiefly ties, that he built his legacy.

His marriage was blessed with seven children - Ratu Valulevu, Ratu Saula, Ratu Meli Salabogi, two daughters, and his youngest son, Vilikesa.

From this foundational generation in Savusavu, the next chapter of the family saga would be written, as their descendants journeyed onward to es­tablish a new branch of the lineage in Nabukadra.

The historic cara sala stands as a poignant lesson in unity, a real-life narrative that aligns perfectly with the Government’s efforts towards national reconciliation.

It is a powerful reminder that the true fabric of Fiji is woven from threads of compassion, where a chief’s act of kindness a century ago continues to bind a nation together, one family at a time.