As we commemorate Girmit Day, 80-year-old Satish Ishri says understanding one’s roots is essential to understanding your identity.
The retired school teacher, who had to migrate to Australia in 1992 with his family due to political instability in Fiji and family security concerns, traced his ancestry to Sitapur in India through his great-grandfather who arrived in Fiji under the indenture system in the late 1892.
He says many Indo-Fijians continue to search for their origins and cultural history, stressing that identity is deeply connected to heritage and family continuity.
Ishri says everybody wants to know their origin and once you know your background, it is like coming to consciousness.
The retired school teacher says preserving culture, religion and tradition across generations has been key for Indo-Fijian families, but warns that identity can be lost without that connection to history.
INSERT: Ishri on identity 13 may
HINDI INSERT: HINDI Ishri on identity 13 may
Ishri says while migration has shaped many Indo-Fijian families across the world, the connection to Fiji and India remains strong through heritage, memory and culture.
Having lived through one of the most tumultuous times in Fiji, Ishri says Indo-Fijians no longer have a fear of persecution.
He believes the country has come out from the mistakes that the masters of those days have made.
He says Indo-Fijians now have a good representation in the political system and are contributing a lot.
INSERT: Ishri on contribution 13 may
He adds they preserved their culture, their religion, the tradition, the way of life, and kept their family together.
Ishri adds despite past challenges and migration experiences, Indo-Fijians continue to play a key role in Fiji’s development, while maintaining strong links to their heritage, culture and identity.
Meanwhile, Girmit Day was commemorated at the Fiji Museum today where Girmit descendants were honoured, the 147th Girmit Commemoration Postal Stamps were unveiled and the 50 Years Girmit Commemoration Time Capsule was sealed.
