[Source: Fijian Government/ Facebook]

Minister for Youth and Sports, Parveen Kumar says despite the enforced nature in which the Girmitiyas arrived and stayed in Fiji, they played a crucial role on arresting the population decline of the iTaukei.

Speaking at the Girmit Day celebrations in Ba over the weekend, Kumar highlighted some of the not so known facts of the history from that era.

Kumar says the measles epidemic of 1875 is estimated to have led to the death of around 40,000 iTaukei.

[Source: Fijian Government/ Facebook]

He adds this along with wars, negative European influences like alcohol, and other diseases, led to a marked decline in the itaukei population that would last well into the 1900s.

The Minister highlights this is well documented by early Governors and historians that the Girmitiyas were brought to work in Fiji to safeguard the i-Taukei and to stop their decline in population.

Kumar says he feels strongly that this point of the interdependence between Girmitiyas, their descendants and the iTaukei needs to be highlighted.

He says this relationship is on a very strong personal level – as it is the story of the survival of a race of people.

[Source: Fijian Government/ Facebook]

Kumar says the Girmitiyas no doubt made huge economic contributions and also contributed to the continued growth of the i-Taukei into a strong, stable and proud indigenous society.

He adds despite the brutal and dehumanizing period during indenture, the Girmitiyas survived and built the foundations of a strong, prosperous and harmonious Fiji for all Fijians.

Kumar highlighted that he shared this part of the history because of the interdependent nature of the initial relationship between the Girmitiya and the i-Taukei, so that we can continue to use the Girmit heritage to build strong ties between all Fijians.