Ritika Pratap 
Deputy Prime Minister, Professor Biman Prasad says the Girmit Day program is about inclusivity, as incidents that happened 144 years ago are no longer just the history of Indo-Fijians.
Professor Prasad says the five-day program is designed to capture the events and lifestyle of the Girmit era.
He says the descendants of the Girmitiyas are an integral part of Fiji, as they have contributed immensely over the last 144 years.
“Because the identity of a community, of a group of people is also linked to the history. And if you do not celebrate, you do not remember, and if you do not talk about one’s history, you can’t talk about your identity as well in a way that it would be more meaningful and appreciative.”
Professor Prasad says declaring a public holiday for Girmit will go down as one of the most historical decisions by any government in Girmit history.
“This is a great decision by the coalition government and by the Prime Minister who promised a national holiday to commemorate and celebrate not only what happened during the Girmit days but to celebrate the progress that the descendants of the Girmitiyas have made in this country.”
The government is calling on the people to come out in numbers and be part of the celebrations, as they will be able to learn a lot about Girmit’s history.
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