Ranil Kumar 
91-year-old Sampat Lal still has vivid memories of the stories shared by her grandparents, who came to Fiji under the indenture system.
Lal, who was born in Labasa, says her grandparents arrived in Fiji in the late 1880s to work on the sugarcane plantations.
She adds that the majority of the Indians were brought from UP Bihar and most of them settled in Labasa after completing their contracts.
“My grandfather came in the ship Matana which brought many Indians. The ship directly travelled from India to Vanua Levu to work in cane plantations.”
Lal recalls that her father faced a lot of hardships while working on the cane plantations and was often mistreated by the British officers, or “Kulambars”.
Lal says the determination and hard work of the Girmityas have left a huge impact in Fiji.
In 1879, the British Colonial Government introduced Indians to Fiji through the indenture system.
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