The story of Grimit is not only a story of suffering, it is also a story of contribution, nation building, and hope.
This has been highlighted by National Federation Party Leader and MP Professor Biman Prasad as we mark 147th Girmit Day.
He says through the sugar industry, which remained the backbone of Fiji's economy for generations, the Grimitiya and their descendants played an important role in the growth and development of our country.
Professor Prasad says they built farms, businesses, schools, and communities.
He says they believed deeply in education, hard work, family, and creating opportunity for future generations.
The NFP leader says their contribution became part of the larger story of Fiji, alongside the contributions of our indigenous communities and others who together shaped the nation we proudly call home today.
He says history has not always been easy for our people.
Professor Prasad says there have been moments of division and pain that many families across Fiji still remember deeply.
However, he says the true legacy of the Grimitiya is not only bitterness or division but it is resilience, dignity, mutual respect, and the courage to keep building a better Fiji together.
He adds that as we reflect on Grimit Day, let us continue to carry forward the values that helped build this nation – hard work, sacrifice, dignity, compassion, education, unity, and respect for one another.
The NFP Leader says the descendants of the Grimitiya did not help build Fiji through hatred or division; they helped build Fiji through honesty, integrity, perseverance, enterprise, and belief in a shared future and that same spirit must continue to guide our nation forward.
