Girmit descendant nears 101

A woman who will turn 101 this month was among 12 Girmit descendants personally honoured at Friday’s 147th Girmit Commemoration at the Fiji Museum in Suva.

Tulsi Amma, originally from Ba, received a token of appreciation from Assistant Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs, Shalen Kumar, to mark the sacrifices and legacy of Girmitiyas and their descendants.

Her grandson-in-law, Vinendra Prasad, said Tulsi Amma was born on May 30, and remains in remarkable health at her age.

“She doesn’t have any sickness in her body — no pressure, no diabetes, nothing at all,” he said.

“The doctor said she hasn’t got any problem.” Tulsi Amma raised 15 children on her own after her husband passed away and has around 50 grandchildren.

She has seen five generations of her family.

Both her parents came from Madras — now Chennai, the capital of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu — as children among the more than 60,000 Indian indentured labourers brought to Fiji between 1879 and 1916.

Mr Prasad said she still wakes at 5am every morn-ing to pray, eats before 7pm each evening, and has never been hospitalised for illness. Her favourite food is crab.

“She said whatever you have to do, you have to be motivated within yourself,” he said.

She is visiting Suva until her birthday celebration on May 30, before returning to Ba, where she lives with one of her daughters. She is a devoted Ba foot-ball supporter.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, who addressed the commemoration via a recorded message, said he looked forward to meeting senior Girmit de-scendants in person when circumstances allow.

“I wish to reaffirm that the story of Girmit is not the story of one community, but it is the story of our nation,” he said.

The remaining Girmit descendants honoured on Friday who could not attend will have their tokens delivered to their homes.