Fiji’s sugar industry is the most important legacy of our Girmitiyas and it must be rebuilt to honour them.
Sugar Minister Charan Jeath Singh said this in Auckland, New Zealand while speaking at the Girmit Day celebrations.
He said girmit and the sugar industry were synonymous with each other.
“In my humble view, there is no better tribute we can pay to them than to join in rebuilding the industry, at least to some semblance of its former glory,” Mr Singh said.
“There are many challenges, but we must not resign from that goal.
“For upon its economic pillars rests the well being and futures of at least a quarter of our population.
“As your new Minister of Sugar, I make a solemn pledge to you, on behalf of all the stakeholders, that we will try our utmost to revive the industry from its current state of nearly terminal destruction.
“There is no other option. Not to do that would be a wholesale abandonment of the Girmit sacrifices. “We cannot participate in grand forums such as tonight and shy away from confronting the hard truths.
“Your country needs your help and ideas like never before. Our nation has been haemorrhaging from the ravages of mismanagement, corruption and wastages to the tune of nearly half a billion per year.
“This is out of the wealth that was created and bequeathed to us by our Girmitiyas.
“The protection and safe custodianship of these resources should be our foremost duty.
“May I respectfully remind you that this day should be about moving forward without bitterness, about forgiving, about building on the glorious contributions and foundations of our ancestors and most importantly laying the architecture for lasting peace, progress and a just, equal and inclusive society.”
