GREATEST GIRMIT HISTORIAN, BANNED FROM FIJI, AWARDED WITH FIJI GIRMIT LEGACY AWARD IN AUCKLAND

GREATEST GIRMIT HISTORIAN, BANNED FROM FIJI, AWARDED WITH

FIJI GIRMIT LEGACY AWARD IN AUCKLAND

Thakur Ranjit Singh

Fiji’s Prime Minister has made outstanding speeches during 140th Girmit Anniversary. Very commendable. However, there remains a huge black spot, and an act of betrayal that appear to border on vindictiveness. And that is ban on Professor Brij Lal to Fiji.

Those Girmit speeches would continue sounding hollow and pointless, bordering on hypocrisy unless Fiji Government adopts attitude of humility, humbleness and forgiveness by allowing Fiji’s most celebrated historian son, Professor Brij Vilash Lal (and his good wife) back into the country of his birth which he placed on international spheres through his excellent research and commentary on Fiji’s Girmit history.

Professor Brij Vilash Lal, addressing audience at Indian Calvary Church in Otahuhu during his attendance at Fiji Girmit Remembrance Day in Auckland in May, 2014. He has been awarded Sahitya Ratan, Literature Award at Fiji Girmit Foundation NZ function in Auckland.

And that greatest Fiji Historian was awarded Girmit Legacy Award in Literature, Sahitya Ratan  by Fiji Girmit Foundation of New Zealand at 140th Girmit Thanksgiving Day in Auckland on 10 May, 2019. This was a day before Bainimarama gave his illustrious speech on Girmit in Fiji. Extremely commendable, but all will come to naught unless this great Girmit son is allowed back into his country of birth.

And also, as the Foundation request is pending with Fiji Government, TO ALLOW 14 MAY AS GIRMIT THANKSGIVING DAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY in Fiji. While we await humane gesture on Girmit by Bainimarama, nevertheless, Girmit Foundation in New Zealand commenced recognizing Girmit’ s outstanding children.

Fiji Girmit Foundation New Zealand decided to introduce Girmit Legacy Awards because there has been no such recognition for Fiji Indians overseas who tended to get statistically diluted and lost in “Indian” and “Asian “categories.

Therefore, only a Girmit (indenture) organisation, vested with taking care of Fiji Indians could really appreciate, value and recognise their gems. Therefore Girmit Legacy Awards are there to recognize the achievements of the descendants of Girmitiyas for bringing pride, joy, sense of belonging and social cohesion to what Girmitiyas have bequeathed us: A distinct Fiji Indian race, with a distinct language, culture and attachment to Fiji - and while rooted in India, being a distinct Pacifica people.

From one author to another. Professor Brij Lal (right) presenting his outstanding book, "Chalo Jahaji" to author of "Tears in Paradise" and Enslaved in Paradise", Rajendra Prasad.

The Chief Guest for Girmit Thanksgiving in Auckland, a Girmitiya son, New Zealand’s former Governor General, Sir Anand Satyanand, observed the enigma of Indian heritage: 

Guyanian, Sir Sridath (Sonny) Ramphal, erstwhile Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, described Indian cultural heritage, in his own instance as being like a seed from a tree growing in India being taken across the seas and growing with encouragement from a seed again to flower in the Caribbean – that is, being different but maintaining the essence of Indian origin.

Same applies to Fiji Indians who were honoured. A seed from India, flowering in Fiji, and taken to other countries, maintaining the essence of Indian origin, but still being a Fijian.

What Girmitiyas have done is to give us a rich and inspiring legacy. And through that Fiji has produced outstanding people that have become role models to inspire others and ensure the hard work, spirit, values, and legacy of Girmitiyas continue to live in action every day.

And when we speak of such legacy left by Girmitiyas in keeping their history alive, one name comes to our mind. 

A PROUD GIRMIT SON- PROFESSOR BRIJ LAL: Had it not been for him, Fiji's Girmit History could have been missing from history books. It is our fervent prayers, that Bainimarama Government in Fiji will rise up to allow him back in Fiji. That will be a fitting 140th Anniversary gift to people of Fiji's Girmitiya descendants who adore this Professor- a short man with very high stature.

When talking about promotion of Hindi Language through Ramayan, we sing: sach mano Tulsi na hote toh Hindi kahin padi hoti. If it wasn’t for Tulsidas in promoting Hindi through Ramayan, the language may have been lost.

Similarly, when speaking about Girmit (Indenture) history, we can say:
Sach mano yeh Professor na hote toh Girmit ki itihas kahi chipi hoti. If we did not have this Professor, History of Fiji Girmit would still be missing from history books. 

Yes, and that Professor is a simple, short person, but of very high stature, Professor Brij Vilash Lal from Labasa, Fiji (now of Brisbane, Australia). He was announced as recipient of Girmit Legacy Award 2019 in the Literature Category – Girmit Sahitya Ratan. (Professional Wellington A League Footballer, Roy Krishna received sports award-story to follow)

Professor Lal’s Award citation read:

Girmit is our foundational history, which was gradually being lost with the passage of time. However, had it not been for Professor Brij Vilash Lal – a descendant of the Girmitiyas – the very words ‘Girmit’ and ‘Girmitiya’ would have been lost forever.

In fact, there was a real danger of us losing the entire Girmit history, had it not been for Professor Brij Lal, a world-renowned scholar on Pacific and Girmit history who single-handedly retrieved and restored our foundational history. He removed the stain linked to the words “Girmit” and “Girmitiya” and turned them into jewels of our history that we have come to treasure and embrace. 

Professor Lal’s work spanned various disciplines – from history, biography to political commentaries and compiling an encyclopedia. He is regarded by his peers as the most eminent scholar in the school of humanities and social sciences Fiji has ever produced and remains one of the most highly acclaimed intellectuals of Fiji - a proud descendant of the Girmitiyas. 

Professor Lal makes us, the descendants of the Girmitiyas, very proud through his achievements. His most memorable quip, which is fondly quoted is: “The Girmitiyas were ordinary people, who achieved extraordinary feats in extraordinary circumstances.”

What Professor Lal has achieved through his writings is to give voiceless people a voice, place and purpose, a sense of dignity and inner strength that comes from never giving up no matter how difficult the circumstances. 

He strongly believes that history belongs to the victor as much as it belongs to the vanquished. And through his scholarship, initiative and sacrifice he has filled the blank pages of our Girmit history. 

He is author of some 40 book now, if not exceeding this number.  For such a long list of achievements, we concede that no award is adequate to truly reflect the depth of our appreciation.

Indeed, Professor Lal, in his long and illustrious academic career, would have received many, many awards, recognition and commendations for his excellence in his field from many sources.

An honour for this author, Fiji Pundit, Thakur Ranjit Singh, (left) to share this photo with a distinguished scholar and historian, Professor Brij Lal when he visited Auckland in May 2014 as the Chief Guest in Fiji Girmit Foundation Girmit's  Thanksgiving Day.

But this is unprecedented as it comes from his own people, and from an organisation, Fiji Girmit Foundation NZ, which represents people he has given a name – Girmit. 

To make it sweeter, he was the Chief Guest at the Foundation in Auckland in 2014. And Bainimarama can even make it sweeter by rising up to allow Professor and his good wife back in Fiji as Fiji’s 140th Anniversary gift to one of Fiji’s most celebrated Girmit son.

Indeed, it is a pride for him to be honored by children of Girmit - whose history he kept alive. It is now left on Fiji government honour the son who kept alive the memories, and feats of Girmitiyas.

[About the Author: Thakur Ranjit Singh is a founding Trustee of Fiji Girmit Foundation, is a journalist, a media commentator and blogger at FIJI PUNDIT]