Today is a significant and solemn day for Fiji.
We have a special holiday.
We reflect on the enduring legacy of the girmitiya, the indentured labourers who arrived from India and laid the foundation for much of our nation’s early development.
We reflect on the stories of their lives, how they travelled here from India, the challenges they faced, and their contributions to developing our nation.
We reflect on connected stories that speak of hardship, of loneliness, pain, and the sad tales of separation, and in many cases, of longing for a return to familiar places. We also reflect on acceptance of a new life, new surroundings, and the first steps into a very different life, in a new country.
We need a reminder to appreciate the importance of history, and what it means to us as a nation.
We must be reminded about events that contributed to making Fiji the nation that it is today.
As the years go by, these parts of our history must be kept alive. We must look back to be reminded about how far we have come and developed as a nation, and all those who contributed to making that happen. We reflect on hard work, determination, frustration, commitment, sadness and sacrifice.
They are part of the history of our nation. They were an integral part of how we developed.
For those who may not appreciate this, or know little about it, we live in a country that was shaped through hard work, through blood, sweat and tears and tightly woven in there is the history of our girmitiya.
It was on May 14, 1879 that the first group of indentured labourers arrived from India, into our waters.
Many decades later, we have grown as a nation and we should be appreciative of the place of the girmitiya in how our nation has turned out.
For many of our youth now, it may be difficult to understand what transpired then.
It may be difficult to appreciate the sense of uncertainty, frustration, fear and shock when the first lot of indentured labourers sailed away from their motherland.
They headed to Fiji for a new beginning.
We know through historical accounts that life was very different from what they were accustomed to back home.
There was the weather to contend with for starters, the food, and an environment they weren’t familiar with.
But through all the changes and challenges, they survived, and they adapted to a new way of life.
Today we acknowledge their sacrifice, hard work, and contribution to the development of a young nation.
History is more than a series of dates and events! It is a living memory that connects us to our past and shapes our future.
The story of the girmitiya should teach us about endurance, unity, and the human spirit.
It should serve as a reminder of the importance of compassion, inclusion, and resilience in the face of adversity.
On this special day, let us honour them not only with words, but through our actions. Let us educate, commemorate, and carry forward the values they embodied.
Their legacy is a source of national pride, and it should inspire us to continue building a Fiji that is just, inclusive, and forward-looking.
We remember the girmitiya. Their story is our story. Their strength is our strength. And their legacy lives on in the heart of our nation!
