Girmitiyas honoured for building modern Fiji

The story of indentured labourers is not just one of suffering, it is one of strength, survival and transformation. 

This was the message of the former Indian High Commissioner to Fiji, Vinod Kumar, at the 5th International Global Girmitiyas Conference at the Pacific Polytech campus in Nadi today. Mr Kumar stressed that the story of the Girmitiyas, indentured Indian labourers brought to Fiji from 1879 to 1916, is a powerful chapter in the nation’s history. 

“Lured under false promises of prosperity, they left their villages in India only to face cruel conditions aboard overcrowded ships and back-breaking labour on sugarcane plantations,” he said. 

Mr Kumar added that most arrived uneducated, unfamiliar with the language and cut off from home. 

“Women, often tricked or forced into migration endured even greater suffering and on the plantations the Girmitiyas worked long hours under harsh supervision. Their wages were low, their freedoms restricted and their dignity often ignored, but from this pain rose a people of incredible resilience,” he said. 

Mr Kumar stressed that despite the odds, these labourers laid the foundations for a thriving Indo-Fijian community. 

Pacific Polytech Council Member, Chandra Dulare reflected on how the Indian descendants helped shape a multi-ethnic Fiji. 

“After completing their indenture, many Girmitiyas chose to remain in Fiji and they bought land, built homes and invested in education. Schools, temples and community halls were established with many from their own meagre savings,” Mr Dulare said. 

Mr Dulare added that over generations, Girmitiya descendants became farmers, professionals, educators and leaders. Their contribution to Fiji’s economic and social development is visible across the nation. 

“Today, while we continue to honour our unique cultural identity, the descendants of Girmitiyas play an essential role in shaping a united and diverse Fiji,” he said.