{"id":9399,"date":"2021-05-31T15:48:06","date_gmt":"2021-05-31T15:48:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/?p=9399"},"modified":"2021-07-01T14:34:11","modified_gmt":"2021-07-01T14:34:11","slug":"fiji-indians-girmit-and-girmitiyas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/fiji-indians-girmit-and-girmitiyas\/","title":{"rendered":"Fiji Indians\u00a0– Girmit and Girmitiyas"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Island

Photo by Damon Hall from Pexels<\/p><\/div>\n

History<\/span> of the Fiji Indians<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0In the 18<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0century\u00a0<\/span>18 \u0935\u0940\u0902 \u0936\u0924\u093e\u092c\u094d\u0926\u0940 the British <\/span>were busy dominating \u092a\u0930 \u0939\u093e\u0935\u0940 the world, making colonies and, bringing with them, their brand <\/span>\u092c\u094d\u0930\u093e\u0902\u0921<\/span> of tea \u091a\u093e\u092f, sugar \u091a\u0940\u0928\u0940, and the English language \u092d\u093e\u0937\u093e. <\/span>\u00a0 The demand \u092e\u093e\u0902\u0917 for sugar was increasing worldwide \u0926\u0941\u0928\u093f\u092f\u093e \u092d\u0930 and the ability to cultivate \u0935\u093f\u0915\u0938\u093f\u0924 \u0915\u0930\u0928\u093e it with new techniques \u0924\u0915\u0928\u0940\u0915 were improving. <\/span><\/p>\n

T<\/span>he British took seedlings<\/span>\u00a0\u0930\u094b\u092a\u0923<\/span> of the sugarcane\u00a0 \u0917\u0928\u094d\u0928\u093e\u00a0plant from England in the 19th century to Fiji. They discovered <\/span>\u092a\u0924\u093e\u00a0\u091a\u0932\u093e\u00a0<\/span>that the weather \u092e\u094c\u0938\u092e and conditions \u0936\u0930\u094d\u0924\u0947\u0901 of the soil in Fiji were perfect \u0909\u0924\u094d\u0924\u092e for growing sugarcane<\/span> \u0917\u0928\u094d\u0928\u093e and the demand for this item \u0935\u0938\u094d\u0924\u0941 increased its<\/span>\u00a0value\u00a0\u092e\u0942\u0932\u094d\u092f in the world community\u00a0\u0938\u092e\u0941\u0926\u093e\u092f-\u092d\u093e\u0935\u0928\u093e.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is\u00a0<\/span>Girmit<\/span><\/a>?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sugarcane was high in demand\u00a0<\/span>\u092e\u093e\u0902\u0917\u00a0\u092e\u0947\u0902\u00a0\u0905\u0927\u093f\u0915\u00a0<\/span>in those days and continues to be. However, in order to keep up with the demand, few \u0915\u0941\u091b Europeans wanted <\/span>\u091a\u093e\u0939\u0924\u093e \u0925\u093e <\/span>to work on the plantations \u0935\u0943\u0915\u094d\u0937\u093e\u0930\u094b\u092a\u0923 in Fiji.\u00a0 So, they made agreements <\/span>\u0938\u092e\u091d\u094c\u0924\u094b\u0902\u00a0<\/span>with Indians to bring them as indentured slaves\u00a0<\/span>\u0917\u093f\u0930\u092e\u093f\u091f\u093f\u092f\u093e\u00a0\u0926\u093e\u0938\u00a0<\/span>to work. This is a painful \u0935\u0943\u0915\u094d\u0937\u093e\u0930\u094b\u092a\u0923 past <\/span>\u0926\u0930\u094d\u0926\u0928\u093e\u0915\u00a0\u0905\u0924\u0940\u0924\u00a0<\/span>for India and for Fiji and therefore not much \u092c\u0939\u0941\u0924 \u091c\u094d\u092f\u093e\u0926\u093e \u0928\u0939\u0940\u0902 is written about it in history books<\/span>\u00a0\u0907\u0924\u093f\u0939\u093e\u0938\u00a0\u0915\u0940\u00a0\u092a\u0941\u0938\u094d\u0924\u0915\u0947\u0902<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n

The agreement was called\u00a0Girmit.\u00a0The document \u0926\u0938\u094d\u0924\u093e\u0935\u0947\u091c\u093c of agreement held the name<\/span>\u00a0\u0928\u093e\u092e<\/span>, place of birth<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u091c\u0928\u094d\u092e\u00a0\u0938\u094d\u0925\u093e\u0928<\/span>, occupation<\/span>\u00a0\u0905\u0927\u093f\u092d\u094b\u0917<\/span>, next of kin<\/span>\u00a0\u092a\u0930\u093f\u091c\u0928\u094b\u0902\u00a0\u0915\u0947\u00a0\u092c\u0917\u0932\u00a0\u092e\u0947\u0902<\/span> and faith \u0927\u093e\u0930\u094d\u092e\u093f\u0915 \u0906\u0938\u094d\u0925\u093e of the indentured slave.\u00a0 This agreement or contract was for five years after which it could be renewed. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Girmit and Girmitiyas<\/a><\/h2>\n

The British took Indians \u092d\u093e\u0930\u0924\u0940\u092f\u094b\u0902, mostly from areas<\/span>\u00a0\u0915\u094d\u0937\u0947\u0924\u094d\u0930\u094b\u0902<\/span> that the British ruled \u0936\u093e\u0938\u0928 \u0915\u0930\u0928\u0947\u0935\u093e\u0932\u093e by ship \u0938\u092e\u0941\u0902\u0926\u094d\u0930\u0940 \u091c\u0939\u093e\u091c to Fiji. Many did not make the journey<\/span>\u00a0\u0938\u092b\u093c\u0930<\/span>, dying \u092e\u0930\u0924\u0947 \u0939\u0941\u090f on the ship. Many never saw \u0915\u092d\u0940 \u0928\u0939\u0940\u0902 \u0926\u0947\u0916\u093e their families <\/span>\u092a\u0930\u093f\u0935\u093e\u0930\u094b\u0902\u00a0<\/span>again. These Indians who settled \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u092c\u0938\u0947 in Fiji are called Girmitiyas. They have their own \u0909\u0928\u0915\u0947 \u0938\u094d\u0935\u0902\u092f \u0915\u0947 language<\/a> \u092c\u094b\u0932\u0940, culture <\/span>\u0938\u0902\u0938\u094d\u0915\u0943\u0924\u093f, <\/span>and food \u0916\u093e\u0928\u093e.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Indians introduced Fiji to typical cuisines such as chicken \u092e\u0941\u0930\u094d\u0917\u0940 curry and Rotis \u0930\u094b\u091f\u0940, although seafood \u0938\u092e\u0941\u0926\u094d\u0930\u0940 \u092d\u094b\u091c\u0928 and vegetables \u0938\u092c\u094d\u091c\u093f\u092f\u093e\u0902 along with coconut \u0928\u093e\u0930\u093f\u092f\u0932 make up a large part of their diet \u0906\u0939\u093e\u0930. Hindus and Sikhs celebrate their traditional festivals and one can see temples and priests also in Fiji.<\/p>\n

Where are the Girmitiyas today?<\/h2>\n

The indentured system \u0935\u094d\u092f\u0935\u0938\u094d\u0925\u093e ended in 1916 but many ended up staying \u0930\u0939 \u0917\u092f\u093e in Fiji. This and the influx \u0924\u093e\u0902\u0924\u093e of families joining brought\u0932\u0947 \u0906\u092f\u093e more Indians to Fiji under normal immigration \u0906\u092a\u094d\u0930\u0935\u093e\u0938\u0928. Fiji gained independence \u0938\u094d\u0935\u0924\u0902\u0924\u094d\u0930\u0924\u093e \u092a\u094d\u0930\u093e\u092a\u094d\u0924 \u0915\u0940 in 1970 after 96 years of British rule \u092c\u094d\u0930\u093f\u091f\u093f\u0936 \u0936\u093e\u0938\u0928. However\u00a0 \u0939\u093e\u0932\u093e\u0901\u0915\u093fthere was growing unrest \u092c\u0922\u093c\u0924\u0940 \u0905\u0936\u093e\u0902\u0924\u093f due to conflict \u091f\u0915\u0930\u093e\u0935 between native \u0926\u0947\u0936\u0940 Fijians and the Indian population \u0906\u092c\u093e\u0926\u0940.<\/p>\n

The native Fijians tolerate \u0938\u0939\u0928 them but live-in an uneasy truce <\/span>\u0905\u0938\u0939\u091c\u00a0\u0938\u0902\u0918\u0930\u094d\u0937\u00a0\u0935\u093f\u0930\u093e\u092e\u00a0<\/span>with many natives \u092e\u0942\u0932 \u0928\u093f\u0935\u093e\u0938\u0940 even today.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Due to \u0915\u0940 \u0935\u091c\u0939 \u0938\u0947 this many Indo Fijians leave Fiji \u0935\u0947 \u092b\u093f\u091c\u0940 \u091b\u094b\u0921\u093c\u0924\u0947\u00a0 for the UK, US, Australia, and Canada. India is a distant land \u0926\u0942\u0930 \u092d\u0942\u092e\u093f of the Ramayana to them, and many have never stepped on her shores.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"Island

History of the Fiji Indians \u00a0In the 18th\u00a0century\u00a018 \u0935\u0940\u0902 \u0936\u0924\u093e\u092c\u094d\u0926\u0940 the British were busy dominating \u092a\u0930 \u0939\u093e\u0935\u0940 the world, making colonies and, bringing with them, their brand \u092c\u094d\u0930\u093e\u0902\u0921 of tea \u091a\u093e\u092f, sugar \u091a\u0940\u0928\u0940, and the English language \u092d\u093e\u0937\u093e. \u00a0 The demand \u092e\u093e\u0902\u0917 for sugar was increasing worldwide \u0926\u0941\u0928\u093f\u092f\u093e \u092d\u0930 and the ability to cultivate \u0935\u093f\u0915\u0938\u093f\u0924…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":176,"featured_media":9405,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,3792,178],"tags":[556303,556304,556305,556306],"class_list":["post-9399","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-hindi-language","category-history","tag-fiji","tag-girmit","tag-girmitiya","tag-indians"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/176"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9399"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9399\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9459,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9399\/revisions\/9459"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}