National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad has described the Girmit system as one of the harshest examples of economic exploitation, saying indenture relied on the abuse of political authority to maximise private profits at the expense of human dignity.
Speaking at the Fiji Girmit Foundation’s commemoration of the 147th Girmit Anniversary in Auckland last night, Prof Prasad reflected on the economic and human realities of indenture and paid tribute to those who fought against the system.
“I do want to reflect for a few moments on the economics of indenture, and without doubt, indenture was about how political authority was abused by private enterprise to secure and guarantee extraordinary levels of profits,” he said.
Prof Prasad said indentured labourers became the backbone of Fiji’s sugar industry while enduring exploitation and harsh living conditions.
“Underpaid labourers who worked the fields, the mills, the ships — the whole infrastructure of sugar in Fiji — formed the backbone of a systematic system of exploitation of human labour with few parallels on the scale of its inhumanity and its brutality,” he said.
He said resistance to the indenture system came not only from international supporters but from the indentured labourers themselves, including prominent figures such as Pandit Totaram Sanadhya and women leaders like Kunti.
“With the collective weight of opposition by so many, and foremostly the leadership of indentured workers themselves, it became very clear to colonial authorities before the First World War that the brutality of the indenture system needed to end,” he said.
Prof Prasad also acknowledged the role played by international supporters, including members of the Methodist Church in London and activists such as Reverend C.F. Andrews and Deenbandhu, for raising awareness about the treatment of indentured labourers.
He paid special tribute to former New Zealand parliamentarian Harry Holland, saying his advocacy helped bring attention to the suffering of Indo-Fijians and Pacific Islanders under forced labour schemes in the early 1900s.
“Harry Holland is a part of our Girmit story as much as Deenbandhu,” Prof Prasad said.
He said Indo-Fijians must never forget those who stood in solidarity with Girmitiyas and helped bring global attention to the inhumanity of the indenture system.
