Vinita Khushal
Girmit Remembrance Day was on Wednesday earlier this week for the first time in Brisbane, recognising the 60,000 Indians who were sent to Fiji as indentured labourers 135 years ago.
About 1.2 million Indians were transported to European colonies around the world as a means of cheap labour. In Fiji, Indian labourers were mainly sent to work for Fiji’s sugar cane industry.
The contracts of these labourers were called “Girmit” – derived from the word “agreement” – and from that word came the name for these labourers – girmitiya. About 25,000 Girmitiyas returned to India under the agreement, but 35,000 stayed in Fiji – though there is speculation that they were prevented from returning home by the government.
Vinita Khushal MC’d the evening and talked to us afterwards about the significance of the remembrance to her family and community. Her ancestors were Girmitiyas who passed on the tragic stories of kidnapping and abuse they suffered.
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