Girmit legacy guides Fiji

Fiji must draw on the resilience and unity of Girmitiyas to confront modern challenges such as climate change, economic uncertainty and rapid technological change.

Speaking at the 147th Girmit Day commemoration at the Civic Centre in Nadi on Thursday evening, Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo said the Girmit legacy remained a guide for nation-building and national progress.

Addressing celebrations under the theme From Roots to Wings: Carrying the Girmit Flame Forward, he said the hardships endured by Girmitiyas had laid the foundation for modern Fiji.

“In this context, carrying the Girmit flame forward means applying the same resilience, ingenuity and communal solidarity that defined your ancestors to the challenges of the 21st Century,” Mr Vosarogo said.

He said the arrival of the Leonidas in 1879 marked the beginning of a painful, but transformative chapter in Fiji’s history.

“Today, we do not gather merely to remember hardship. We gather to honour the quiet, unyielding courage that turned their adversity into one of the strongest foundations Fiji has ever known,” Mr Vosarogo said.

“The Girmitiyas and their descendants did not simply survive; they shaped the economic and cultural architecture of Fiji.

“They brought agricultural expertise that powered the sugar industry, culinary traditions that enriched every table, spiritual practices that deepened the nation’s soul and a commitment to education and enterprise that lifted generations.” he said.

In calling for stronger national unity, Mr Vosarogo said the Girmit experience belonged to all Fijians.

“When we recognise the intertwined destinies of iTaukei, Indo-Fijians and all communities, we create a stronger, more cohesive society capable of taking wings together,” he said.

Young people are urged to embrace innovation while protecting their identity and culture.

“You are the wings. Your ancestors gave you roots strong enough to support bold flight,” Mr Vosarogo said

“Do not fear complexity. Embrace technology, champion sustainability, defend pluralism and innovate without forgetting who you are. The flame is yours to carry higher.”

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