A number of activities have been planned in the lead up to a grand Girmit Day celebration at Albert Park on May 15th.

The subcommittee has been working under the direction of the National Committee on Girmit Day to finalize the schedule and preparations for the celebration and the two-day international conference.

Committee Chair, Professor Biman Prasad says four day event is being planned to mark Girmit Day celebration.

Girmit Conference Chair Dr Ganesh Chand says around 150 scholars are also expected to arrive in the country to participate in the two day international conference on Girmit Day.

” We have a two day academic conference on Friday and Saturday 12 and 13th May. The conference will be at USP so we have the world’s leading scholars coming to Fiji, they will talk on all aspect of Girmit from the old days to now, different countries from South Africa, Jamaica, Mauritius, Guyana , Trinidad, Surinam.”

Girmit Day Celebration Chair Sashi Kiran says says there has been a lot of interest from different groups who want to be part of the historical moment.

“Very good feedback from different faith groups who are doing exhibitions but also different prayer events. There is a field visit, we are planning to Navilaca for the rescue mission, Syria rescue that’s on Saturday and we are hoping that there will be young, old different faiths, different groups who will learn about the Girmit history so its exciting times . There is a lot of engagements from all different groups.”

Kiran adds that a Girmit Committee in the Navilaca village in Noco Rewa who are planning a commemoration of the Syria rescue.

The ship Syria was one of the many ships that transported the girmitiya to Fiji in 1884, however, it shipwrecked on Nasilai Reef which also claimed many lives.