Girmitiya a Story of Survival
The Minister for Employment, Productivity, Industrial relations and Youth and Sports Parveen Kumar Bala said the interdependent relationship between Girmitiya and iTaukei descendants told a story of strength and survival.
Mr Bala made these comments while officiating at the 143rd Girmit Anniversary on Saturday which began with a float procession through the main street of Ba Town.
“I felt strongly that I should share this story of the interdependent nature of the initial relationship between the Girmitiya and the iTaukei so that we continue to use the Girmit heritage to build strong ties between all Fijians,” he said.
“When we share this common heritage, we will share in its pain. We will share in its loss of humanity and only then will we also begin to share in the hope and vision that Girmitiya had for Fiji. We will then work together to ensure we remain strong and united.”
He said it was common knowledge in Fiji‘s history that many people conspired against this unity and attempted to downplay the past contributions of the Girmitiya.
“Despite the enforced nature of the means, the end result was that the Girmitiya played a crucial role in arresting the population decline of the iTaukei, and no doubt their economic contributions also contributed to the continued growth of the iTaukei into a strong, stable and proud indigenous society,” he said.