Ranil Kumar 
[Source: Fiji Museum]
Indians who were brought to Fiji under the indenture system did not only work in sugarcane plantations but were engaged in other fields.
Since Fiji was just starting to develop, some of the Girmityas were then engaged in infrastructural work.
Academic and consultant Doctor Mohit Prasad says the Girmityas who were brought to Fiji 144 years ago possessed diverse skills.
“One of the little-known facts about Girmityas is that they also did a lot of public works because, when they first came, the planters did not want to engage them. So the government of the day, the British colonial government, actually had to employ them in the Public Works Department.”
Dr. Prasad says the Girmityas played a significant role in the development of Suva in the early days.
The National Girmit Day celebration got underway in Albert Park in Suva today.
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