FIJI GIRMIT FOUNDATION NZ TO MARK 140TH GIRMIT ANNIVERSARY IN AUCKLAND

The Fiji Girmit Foundation of New Zealand is gearing to mark the 140th Anniversary of the arrival of first Indian indentured labourers in Fiji, which was on 14 May, 1879.

FIJI GIRMIT FOUNDATION NZ will have its commemoration of 140th Girmit Thanksgiving Day at Skipton Hall in Auckland, New Zealand on the evening of Friday 10th May, 2019. You all are invited to come to salute our Girmitiyas -ORDINARY PEOPLE WHO ACHIEVED EXTRAORDINARY THINGS IN EXTRAORDINARY ENVIRONMENT.

It will be a day to commemorate the suffering and sacrifices of the Girmitiyas and celebrate triumph of the human spirit over formidable adversities.

This event will take place on 10 May 2019 at ARST Skipton Hall, 53 Skipton Street, Mangere East, Auckland.

The Foundation was established in 2013 with the sole objective of reconnecting, reclaiming and restoring Fiji Indian history, which has failed to echo in successive generations as it should have. This event is organized to provide opportunity to every Indo-Fijian family to remember and pay respects to their Girmitiya forebears for the sacrifices they made and the legacy they left behind for successive generations.

It is also the Foundation’s fervent hope and desire to bring enlightenment of their foundational Girmit history to Fiji Indians who have all grown in ignorance of their tragic but fascinating history. In addition to this, it is their fervent desire to honour some of the descendants of the Girmitiyas for their achievements in various fields. 

In History of New Zealand, Girmit Remembrance was never marked regularly till the Foundation was established, and held commemoration from 2013 to 2015 inclusive. In 2013, elderly Fiji Indians (those over 80) were recognised, honoured and given Girmit Commemorative Medals.

In 2014, they had most eminent and celebrated son of Girmit, Professor Brij Lal as their chief guest and keynote speaker.

LEONIDAS  -the first Girmit transporting ship which arrived in Levuka, Fiji on 14 May, 1879. But it was not able to dock on that day, and docked into harbour on 15 May. That is why some use the date of 15 May. But officially, we recognize 14 May as the designated date.

In 2015, the then Minister for Foreign Affairs of Fiji, Hon. Ratu Inoke Kubuabola was the Chief Guest at Girmit Remembrance Day in Auckland. The theme for the occasion was “Commemorating the Syria Tragedy”, which included remembering, acknowledging and paying tribute to the Nasilai Villagers who risked their lives to render assistance in the rescue efforts, mounted by Dr William McGregor on that fateful night of May 11, 1884. Hon. Kubuabola led a delegation from Fiji, including staff of Fiji High Commission based in Wellington to honour the occasion on behalf of the Government of Fiji. 

Following this event, the Foundation led a delegation to Nasilai Village on October 15, 2015 to formally thank the Nasilai villagers for the role their ancestors had played in the rescue efforts, which saved hundreds of lives. It was a solemn occasion, reliving a tragic event but provided us an opportunity to meet the descendants to express our appreciation, though belatedly. The villagers honoured the visitors with traditional welcome and subsequent discussions led to undertaking of important renovations and improvements to the village communal facilities, costing us over $80,000. 

Syria Tragedy - the remains of Syria Ship which was wrecked on Nasilai Reef in May, 1884. A delegation from FIJI GIRMIT FOUNDATION NZ made a pilgrimage to Nasilai Village in Rewa, Fiji in 2015 and made improvements worth some $FJ 100,000 to the village hall (See story elsewhere on FIJI PUNDIT),as a show of goodwill to the descendants of the villagers who helped rescue the Indian indentured labourers on the ship. Some 57 Indians lost their lives.

The Foundation is also gearing up to focus on some issues which Fiji Indians need a voice in, playing a wider role by having a closer link with New Zealand Government, the government agencies, political and community leaders.
There is a revamped, passionate, professional and diverse youth executive team who are coming on board, empowered to carry the banner and baton of Girmit and create awareness in the new generation. One may say, like New Zealand Prime Minister, Fiji Indian Millennials  in Auckland have been given an opportunity to take the lead and torch of Girmit. 

The Foundation considers it important to enlist the support of our community to ensure that our tragic but fascinating Girmit history is not lost with the passage of time. Accordingly, public awareness was vital and the commemorative events that commenced some six years ago lit and fanned the spark, which has ignited the desire in our people to reconnect and revive our Girmit history.

At least five commemoration events are planned for Auckland to mark and salute the pioneer Indian indentured labourers who were ordinary people who achieved extraordinary feats. And this is evident in a new breed and race of people, who originated from India, but have created a distinct Pacifica culture, with best of both worlds.

Girmitiyas in front of a sugar mill during those Girmit Days. Note the railway lines in the foreground and railway carts in the background.

There have been requests to Girmit Foundation to join with Global Girmit organisations overseas. However, NZ Girmit Foundation feels first they need to make it effectively work here at grassroots level before venturing overseas. Most of the so-called International Girmit organisations appear to be an academic exercise and some are merely social-media, or paper organisations. 

The Foundation believes that without an effective home-grown tangible and functioning Girmit organisation like the Foundation, it is pointless being part of any overseas paper organisations, which does nothing tangible on the ground. Hence there is a desire to empower Fiji Indians to extend this organisation as an advocacy body for Fiji Indians in New Zealand, who, as stated earlier, while being Indians also happen to be a distinct Pacifica people - Fiji Indians.

The Foundation wishes to work on ground with Fiji Indians in New Zealand, and also create awareness in Canada and USA to arm the new generation with their original identity, and advise them the importance of reconnecting and restoring their Girmit history as a tribute to the Girmitiyas.

Thakur Ranjit Singh, a founding trustee of the Foundation will travel to Fiji later this year to initiate and inaugurate Totaram Sanadhya Vatika, a Girmit Botanical Garden at Fiji Girmit Centre in Lautoka. This will be as a part of DAV Reunion in Fiji, in association with Fiji Girmit Council.

Since its inception in 2013, FIJI GIRMIT FOUNDATION NZ organised regular Girmit Commemoration at Skipton Hall, Mangere, Auckland from 2013 to 2015 inclusive. This was the banner for 2015 commemoration which has Syria Tragedy as its theme. We had Minister of Foreign Affairs of Fiji, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola as the chief guest. We are still awaiting out request to Fiji Government to declare 14 May as a Public Holiday in Fiji in honour of the pioneer Girmitiyas.

The Trustees of Fiji Girmit Foundation are respected member of Fiji Indian community in Auckland. They are Master Shiu Charan, Sardar Harnam Singh Golian, author Rajendra Prasad, Janab Nek Mohammed, Pundit Ram Kumar Sewak, Krish Naidu and journalist Thakur Ranjit Singh. 

The foundation earnestly seeks participation of all descendants of Girmitiyas to show their gratitude to the vision and sacrifice of ordinary people who did extraordinary things in an extraordinary environment.
The request of Girmit Foundation to Fiji Government to have Girmit history in Fiji school curriculum has already been implemented. The Foundation is now awaiting Fiji Government of their request of declaring 14 May as a Public Holiday in Fiji.

More information on the 140th anniversary would come in the next edition. Please reserve the evening of Friday 10th May, 2019 to pay homage to those who made Fiji Indians into who they are today.

[Thakur Ranjit Singh is the founding Trustee of Fiji Girmit Foundation NZ and is a media commentator. He has a passion for his forebears, and has written various articles on them in the past.]