A
need for Indo-Fijians to reconnect, reclaim and restore their history
Thakur Ranjit Singh
Fiji Girmit Foundation of New Zealand is creating
awareness about indenture and Girmit history with the theme of: Reconnecting, reclaiming and restoring
Indo-Fijian history.
The Foundation is commemorating, and hence
organising Girmit Remembrance Day at Skipton Hall, Mangere, Auckland on Sunday
18 May, 2014 from 1.30- 5.00pm. FIJI PUNDIT will have a string of articles
leading to Girmit Day.
14 May
is a significant date for Indo-Fijian Diaspora. On this day in 1879 the first
ship load of Girmitiyas- Fiji’s indentured labourers – arrived in Fiji at
Levuka in the historic vessel, the
Leonidas. I do not blame Indo
Fijian for not knowing the history of their heritage, as our school history
fails to recognise and acknowledge this fact, which appears to have been stolen
from successive Indo Fijian generations. This article is intended to enlighten
and awaken the silent pride of Indo-Fijian Diaspora, and urge them to observe FIJI GIRMIT
REMEMBRANCE DAY on 14 May of every
year.
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| Leonidas, the first Indenture (Girmit) sail ship that arrived at Levuka, Fiji on 14 May, 1869. That is why MAY 14 HAS BEEN DECLARED: FIJI GIRMIT REMEMBRANCE DAY |
Do you ever realise that we
now have a distinct Indo-Fijian culture spread around the world? We are a group
of Indian migrants, who not only retained their culture and traditions, but in
fact strengthened them to the extent that wherever they are settled, they are a
distinct breed of Indians, very different from the mainland Indians. We give
credit for this preservation of Indianness to the foresight and vision of our
Girmitiya forebears who gave priority to education. However, do Indo-Fijians
have respect and pride in their heritage?
On Thanksgiving Day,
Americans think of and honour those who sacrificed for America in creating a
new homeland. On ANZAC Day (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps), respective
nationals think of their soldiers who fought for their countries and gave their
lives. On Waitangi Day, New Zealanders mark that as a nation-building day. Then
why cannot we, Girmitiya descendant Indo-Fijians, set aside at least one day in
a year to think and honour those who sacrificed their lives and gave us this
better life than they ever dreamed of?
 |
| Girmit Gang getting ready for work. They worked tirelessly to make Fiji what it is today, but Girmitiyas seem to have become derelicts of British Empire, and rarely reflected in History. |
It is time we inculcated
pride of the new generation in their history. What I suggest is that we need to
tell our children and grandchildren about the stories of Girmit so that they
know where they have descended from and how full of suffering, sacrifices has
been those Girmit journeys.
To realise this dream, a
group of Indo-Fijians in Auckland New Zealand, have taken steps to reconnect,
reclaim and restore Indo-Fijian history. FIJI GIRMIT FOUNDATION NEW ZEALAND has
been formed, among other things, to regularly organize commemoration of Girmit
in New Zealand every year, and also become an umbrella organisation
representing all Girmitiya descendants.
The Foundation is headed by
former Deputy General Manager of Fiji Broadcasting Commission, Pundit Devakar Prasad (Chairperson) and
other members, among others, include Thakur
Ranjit Singh, (Secretary), Krish
Naidu (Treasurer), former parliamentarians Master Shiu Charan, Sardar
Harnam Singh Golian, Rajendra Prasad, author of “Tears in Paradise” , Radha
Kanhai Reddy and Pundit Ram Kumar
Sewak.
The Foundation is
organising Fiji Girmit Remembrance Day
on Sunday 18 May, 2014 at Auckland, New Zealand. This event is organized to
provide opportunity to every Indo-Fijian family to resurrect the memories and
pay our respects to our Girmitiya forebears for the sacrifices that they made
and the legacy that they left for successive generations.
The day’s programme will
remember sacrifices, progress and vision of our forebears through oratory,
poems, music and tales of the past. This will be a journey through memory lane
which will provide exposure to a history that has been stolen from us, and remains
yet to be told. Fiji’s celebrated academic son and historian of Girmit, Professor Brij Lal is the Chief Guest He
is Professor of Pacific and Asian History in the College of Asia and the
Pacific at The Australian National University, Canberra. And hence he is a very fitting and appropriate Chief Guest.
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| Add caption |
The Chief Guest at Girmit Day in Auckland will be Professor Brij Vilash Lal, who is
Professor of Pacific and Asian History in the College of Asia and the Pacific
at The Australian National University (ANU). He is a proud son of Fiji who has written numerous books on Girmit history to fill the vacuum in our history that the British failed to record.
It is a fervent hope of the
Foundation that such activities would assist in restoration of Indo-Fijian history;
not only in New Zealand, but everywhere Indo-Fijians are settled. Hence, the
theme for this year’s commemoration is:
Reconnecting, reclaiming and restoring
Indo-Fijian history
The Foundation intends to
strengthen our unique Indo-Fijian culture, language, customs and traditions to
ensure that our children remain connected to the jewels of their inheritance. It
is hoped, in a small way, the initiative, foresight and vision of Aucklanders
are going to inspire our Indo Fijian Diaspora in Canada (Vancouver, Surrey,
Calgary, Toronto etc), USA (San Francisco, Sacramento, Modesto Hayward etc), Australia
(Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne etc) and even in Fiji to unite and get organised
and tell our new generation the tales of Girmit that history has failed to
acknowledge.
[Visit Fiji Girmit Foundation Facebook]
[About
the Author: Thakur Ranjit Singh is a journalist, a blogger, a media
commentator and former Publisher of Fiji’s Daily Post. He is the Secretary of
Fiji Girmit Foundation New Zealand. He runs his blog site: FIJI PUNDIT,
available at www.fijipundit.blogspot.co.nz]
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