Ranil Kumar 
During the Girmit era, numerous ships brought Indian indentured laborers to Fiji from the Indian subcontinent.
University of the South Pacific academic Doctor Nikhat Shameem says her great grandparents came to Fiji on the ship Avon in 1892.
The ship transported around 520 girmitiyas, who were sent to different plantations across the country.
“My great grandmother and great grandfather came in 1892 on the ship Avon, and they were sent to different plantations, and my great-grandmother went with two of her daughters. So it was a really difficult time where families were put asunder, and we must not forget that that is our background and that is our history.”
Shameem says it is crucial for the younger generation to understand the country’s history regarding the Girmityas and the struggles their ancestors endured to get to Fiji.
“I think that the right reasons would be that we are very careful about ensuring that our identity, our culture, and our language survive into the future. That our children learn about our history, about our grandparents and our great-grandparents who came through such a difficult time to come to Fiji to, as we say in Hindi, “Kamao Girmit.”
Shameem says Girmit Day is a day to remember the sacrifices, celebrate the contributions to Fiji’s multicultural society, and honor the legacy of the Girmityas.
The National Girmit Day will be celebrated on May 15th.
