Girmit commemoration has a lot of significance as it is a time to reflect on the past and ensure our forefather's struggles and sacrifices are not forgotten.
Minister for Multi-Ethnic and Sugar Industry, Charan Jeath Singh highlighted this while officiating the second day of the Girmit celebration at the Girmit Centre in Lautoka.
The Minister says that one of the most significant contributions of the Girmityas and their descendants is in the agriculture sector, particularly the sugar industry.
Singh says they played a vital role in establishing and expanding sugarcane plantations in Fiji, which became a major economic activity for the country since their arrival in 1879.
The Minister says the government has committed that they will establish a Girmit Museum behind the Girmit Centre in Lautoka which will become a tourist attraction, they will also have a replica of Ram Mandir along with a statue of Mahatma Gandhi.
Singh says these projects will be done with the assistance of the High Commission of India in Fiji.
He says the labour-intensive cultivation and processing of sugarcane provided employment opportunities and contributed significantly to Fiji's economy in terms of foreign revenue.
Singh further says that despite its many challenges in recent years, the sugar industry remains a major contributor to Fiji’s economy.
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