fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan - Girmit celebrations 2024

As we approach the Girmit Day celebrations, a Vanua Day is going to be held today to show gratitude to the Taukei Vidilo and Tui Vuda for giving their blessings to have the events in Lautoka and for allowing early descendants of girmitiyas to plant on their land.

While speaking during fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan, Girmit Celebrations Organising Committee Chair, Sashi Kiran says the first lot of girmitiyas who could not go back were called ‘khula’ and were free but were given Colonial Sugar Refining Company land to work on.

Kiran says they were very restricted and could plant certain things and some of them approached the chiefs to give them land to plant.

She says some of those early settlers had the blessings of the Tui Vuda where they went and settled there and started farming in that area.

The Assistant Minister says they had requested the current Tui Vuda who is 94 years old and the Bose ni Momo to come together so they could pay gratitude for the last 145 years of having their blessings and utilising the land girmit descendants were given.

Kiran says tomorrow evening at the Lautoka Girmit Centre, there will be an exchange of gifts, food, dance and dialogue even before the Girmit Day events begin.

She says multiple stakeholders have been invited.

Girmit Day celebrations begin on Saturday and end on Monday in Lautoka and a celebration will also be held at Subrail Park on Saturday.

Former Prime Minister and Fiji Labour Party Leader Mahendra Chaudhry says the Hindi and iTaukei languages should be made compulsory in the school curriculum for people to understand that we are part of a multicultural country and to understand each other better while Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection and Girmit Committee Chair Sashi Kiran says it is crucial to understand our history first.

While speaking on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan on how we can make efforts to ensure that all communities understand each other better, Chaudhry says if we speak each other's language then we can understand people better and that should be done.

He says politicians should also behave as some politicians thrive on playing the race card which has been done for a long time in Fiji even in the colonial days.

However, Kiran says the Ministry is looking into the curriculum change as this takes time.

She says any educational change happens at home therefore everyone needs to put time into understanding their history before understanding others.

Kiran says many people do not know their history because it has not been taught to them.

The committee chair says this is why events like Girmit Day celebrations are important because on this day we work together and learn about our history.

She says it is also important that each one of us understand our history, struggles, joy and harmony as this helps us to learn, know each other and understand people better.

Meanwhile, Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs Charan Jeath Singh says every Fijian must understand where we are and where we need to go.

He says there have been a lot of differences created and a lot of politicians have come and gone which has created a bit of indirect suspicion among the communities.

Singh also says the only way forward is the truth and reconciliation process.

You can watch the full Straight Talk interview on our website, fijivillage.

Meanwhile, the theme for the 145th Girmit Day celebration is "Journey of Girmit Descendants in Building a New Fiji".

The celebrations will take place from Saturday to Monday at the Lautoka Girmit Multicultural Centre and on Saturday at Subrail Park, Labasa.

Monday will be a Girmit Day public holiday.