Upholding values,blessings of Girmitiyas
Girmit Day is a celebration of our forefathers’ determination to triumph over slavery or servitude and make Fiji their new home, says Biman Prasad.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance clarified few claims which he said were made by a politian about the Girmit Day. “The Coalition government of Prime Minister Honourable Sitiveni Rabuka has recognised this invaluable contribution of the Girmitiya and their descendants by declaring Girmit Day as a public holiday.’
‘This is not celebrating indenture or slavery, as a political leader quite preposterously claimed a few days ago.”
“It is a celebration of our forefathers’ determination to triumph over slavery or servitude and make Fiji their new home. And they succeeded because of their unshakable principles of dignity, equality, justice and self-respect.” He was made these comments at the opening of the 145th Girmit Commemoration at the Girmit Multicultural Centre in Lautoka last Saturday.
The theme of Girmit Day this year is Journey of Girmit De
scendnats in Building a New Fiji. Mr Prasad strongly believes in recognising and upholding the values and blessings of their ancestors.
“It is also highly symbolic for me to launch the start of an event in a place known as sugar city because I come from the rice fields of Muanidevo in Dreketi, Vanua Levu. Sugarcane and sugar are the very reasons why we are here this morning - to kick-start official commemora- tion of the struggles and sacrifice of our forefathers that first started 145 years ago.”
“Whether it be the sugarcane plantations in the cane belts or the rice farms of Muanidevo, there is one unbreakable bond that was, is and will link, our past, current and future generations – we are the descendants of the Girmitiya,” he said.