Fijian PM Sitiveni Rabuka praises significant contribution of Girmitiyas in nation's progress

Fiji became an economic powerhouse in the Pacific due to the hard work of the Indian migrants who arrived during the indentured labour system, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka emphasised.

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While delivering his message on the 146th Girmit Day at Subrail Park in Labasa, Prime Minister Rabuka emphasised the contribution of the indentured labourers to Fiji's development. Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita was present on the occasion.

He said Girmit Day is a profound moment in our history, as on 14th May 1879, the first ship carrying indentured labourers from India arrived on our shores.

He stated that between 1879 and 1916, about 60,000 men, women, and children were brought under an oppressive system of bonded labour to work under very uncertain and often inhumane conditions on Fiji's sugar plantations.