Carnival to Mark Girmit Day

The 143rd Girmit Day celebrations in Labasa will take place in a much bigger and better way.

It will include a first-ever weeklong carnival.

Labasa Town Council special administrator, Ami Kohli, said the celebrations would take place at Subrail Park (Ground Two), starting this Saturday and ending next Saturday.

He said the last celebrations were held during their 100th Girmit Day celebrations.

Mr Kohli said the event would commemorate the many sacrifices and contributions their ancestors made to the country in terms of shaping the early economic landscape of our nation.

“Indian items depicting the Girmit era such as folklores, songs, and skits and displaying of materials that were used by our ancestors during that particular time,” he said.

The council is working in collaboration with the Labasa Multicultural Centre and other Indo-Fijian communities that were well versed with the old Girmit songs.

The proposal and idea to have the remembrance celebration were initially made by the Ministry of Heritage and Arts.

“We are here because of the contributions our ancestors made to the country,” he said.

“It is the responsibility for our generation to understand the way our ancestors toiled the land.”

Preparations

Mr Kohli said they had recently formed a cultural committee that was responsible for such festivities.

Preparations were going according to plan with the main sponsor, Vodafone, already secured.

“We have also begun with our stall bookings and have received a positive response in applications,” he said.

The council allocated 50 food stalls with rental rates between $400 and $700.

There would be amusement rides, bouncy castles for kids and food stalls

He said an oratory and painting competition would also be held.

Mr Kohli said the festivities would also provide stall owners with an ideal business opportunity to sell their homemade foods, snacks and other Indian delicacies.

The main cultural programme begins on Thursday next week where there would be respective guest speakers.

“This will be a massive social event for our people in a long while so we want everyone to enjoy this festivity,” he said.

Mr Kohli and the council hope for favourable weather conditions in the next few days leading to Saturday.