Ranil Kumar 
[File Photo]
Fiji has a significant population of people of Indian descent who are descended from indentured laborers brought to the country by the British in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to work on sugar plantations.
Today, Fiji’s Indian community plays an important role in the country’s culture and economy, and their heritage is an integral part of Fiji’s multicultural identity.
Assistant linguistics lecturer at the University of the South Pacific, Rajendra Prasad, says it is very important to preserve and practice our Indian heritage.
“It is very important to preserve and practice our Indian heritage, but more importantly, our Fiji Indian heritage, because the way we conduct our weddings and the way we conduct our funerals is very distinct from what happens in the homeland of India.”
He says that there is a need to pass down knowledge and heritage to the younger generation so that they don’t forget the sacrifices of their ancestors.
“Culture is a way of life. That means it keeps changing. But there are some fundamental values and practices that need to be passed on to the younger generations. And again, they can use this holiday to actually teach, because you only talk about wedding ceremonies or funeral rights when they’re happening in your house. Why can’t we talk about it earlier? And it’s very important that we talk to the young ones today with reasons why we do this and why we do that, because until they don’t know the reason, they won’t do it.”
Prasad says recording history, celebrating traditions, preserving language,and protecting heritage sites enable knowledge of Indian heritage to be passed down from generation to generation, ensuring its longevity and significance.
