Indo-Fijian youths urged to reconnect with Girmit roots

Young Indo-Fijians can never fully repay the sacrifices made by their girmitiya ancestors, who toiled on plantations, worked farms without compensation and endured abuse under British colonial rule.

These were the words of Payal Nandini Maharaj, chief guest at Fiji National University’s 147th Girmit Day celebration at the Naiyaca campus in Labasa yesterday.

Mrs Maharaj told students the sacrifices of the girmitiyas should never be forgotten.

The term “girmit” originated from the agreement under which Indians were brought to Fiji as indentured labourers between 1879 and 1916 under British rule.

She encouraged Indo-Fijian youths to reconnect with their roots by understanding the perseverance of the girmitiyas and preserving religious and cultural continuity through traditional dances, songs, stories, artefacts and history.

Mrs Maharaj said this year’s theme, From roots to wings: Carrying the flame forward, should be understood and reflected in the lives of students and young people.

Payal Nandini Maharaj, the chief guest during the Fiji National University (FNU) 147th Girmit Day celebration at their Naiyaca campus in Labasa on May 13, 2026.

Photo: Sampras Anand

A former Fiji National University project research officer at the Centre for Sustainable Technology and Development, Mrs Maharaj is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.

She said the girmitiyas’ recognition of the value of education helped them strive for equality and rights.

“By having a dream and fulfilling it despite the many challenges along the way, that is why girmitiyas’ children became educated, studying by lamps and candles,” she said.

“Students of the past were without proper shoes and bags, but they were filled with hopes and aspirations.”

Mrs Maharaj encouraged current students to compare their experiences with those of students in the post-girmitiya era.

“The bitter truth is that our ancestors and we are at two ends of the spectrum with respect to time, yet facing similar struggles connected like a time capsule,” she said.

She said education had elevated the status of Indo-Fijians in modern Fiji.

“We are contributors,” she said.

Mrs Maharaj said the struggles of the girmitiyas also taught important lessons in patience and resilience.

“The girmitiyas were treated harshly, yet they maintained self-respect and a positive view of themselves. Today, many youths and adults alike are battling mental health problems without realising it,” she said.

Student Kushal Prasad said today’s Indo-Fijian youths continued to prioritise education as a pathway to employment, prosperity and social progress.

Mr Prasad said Girmit celebrations should not be limited to towns and cities, but also observed in rural communities.