Reddy, 89, Recalls Good Times of Yester Years
Subramani Reddy, 89, vividly remembers how he had studied up to Year Four, worked for Fiji Sugar Corporation Labasa Mill for 42 years and retired as a lab assistant in 1993.
Mr Reddy residing at Lajonia, Labasa proudly calls himself a healthy person since he has no history of hospital admission and sickness.
The youngest of six siblings said after retirement, he used his savings of about $3000 to visit New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, China, India, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.
“My grandparents came from Andhra Pradesh to work as indentured labourers and at that time my parents were young,” Mr Reddy said.
“When they got married they bought this piece of land in Lajonia and since then I have been staying here with my family.”
The father of four daughters said during those days there was nothing such as a birth certificate and parents sent children to school whenever they felt it was right. “During my childhood days all South Indian parents made sure their children attended South Indian School and by the time I reached Year Four at Labasa Sangam Primary School I was over age and had to leave school,” he said.
“Then I worked with my parents as sugarcane labourers.”
Working Experiences
When he realised that he would soon become an adult and get married he decided to do other jobs. He did casual work making drains along the main roads in Wailevu, Labasa and earned 70 pennies per day.
Later he worked as a tractor driver in various sugarcane farms earning $1:70 per day.
“When my sardar saw my hard work he arranged my work at Labasa mill chief engineer’s house and my job was to only clean the garden, compound and feed the chickens,” he recalls.
“The chief engineer was an Australian and as days passed by he admired my hard work and offered
me a job at the Labasa Mill delivery section.”
For six years he worked as a casual worker, delivering sacks of sugar in a cart and loading it into boats at Vulovi Jetty in Labasa which was then loaded off at Malau Jetty.
Later when there was a vacancy at the sugar research department, the chief engineer hired him. While carrying out soil tests and testing varieties of cane at the laboratory he learned how to read, speak and write English.
“I worked with nine managers and 13 soil specialists during my tenure and never in my life have I faced disciplinary actions,” he said.
“I never drank kava or alcohol in my life because it is against my policy.”
Even when offered drinks by the Australian bosses, he would say no. It has always been his dream to save money and travel around the world.
Life learning lessons
With eight grandchildren and seven great grandchildren he said respect for others was the key to success.
“My mother taught me the importance of greeting people with respect by folding hands together and bowing heads saying Namaskaram or Namaste even to those on the road,” Mr Reddy said. “Secondly, no matter how much your income was, work diligently and faithfully because nothing is hidden from God.”
“Now no one will greet you with respect even if you have grey hair and this often makes me sad,” he said.
“Parents invest more time with your children in providing moral education and religious teachings. Prhaps this can help reduce crime.”
He hopes as people gather to celebrate Girmit Day they will remember all those indentured labourers who sacrificed to build the sugar industry.