Fiji and the Hindostan Via Calcutta

It's over one year for me in this beautiful island country tucked in the South Pacific Islands. After leaving Delhi, had zero idea what Fiji is about. Have lifted information etc. Now, will begin a series where i'll pick up words heavily influenced by Bengal. The place where most Indo -Fijians (forefathers) came from. Hope you will like it.

It’s literally a journey across oceans, mixing diplomacy and friendship with history, culture and civilizational memories. Located thousands of miles away in the South Pacific Ocean, but kindred in spirit, Fiji, a string of 800-plus stunningly picturesque coral islands, is intimately linked with India by over 300,000 persons of Indian origin who have made this Pacific nation their home for over a century.


Early ancestors of Indo-Fijians- Indians had been employed for a long time on the European ships trading in India and the East Indies. Many of the early voyages to the Pacific either started or terminated in India, and many of these ships were wrecked in the uncharted waters of the South Pacific. The first recorded presence of an Indian in Fiji was by Peter Dillon, a sandalwood trader in Fiji, of a lascar (Indian seaman) who survived a ship wreck and lived amongst the natives of Fiji.


First attempt to procure Indian labourers- Before Fiji was colonized by Great Britain, some planters had tried to obtain Indian labour and had approached the British Consul in Levuka, Fiji but were met with a negative response. In 1870 a direct request by a planter to the Government of India was also turned down and in 1872, an official request by the Cakobau Government was informed that British rule in Fiji was a pre-condition for Indian emigration to Fiji. The early ancestors of Fiji Indians came from different regions and backgrounds from India and other neighboring countries. However, most came from rural villages in northern and western India.

In January 1879, thirty-one Indians, who had originally been indentured labourers in Réunion, were brought from New Caledonia to Fiji under contract to work on a plantation in Taveuni. These labourers demonstrated knowledge of the terms of the indenture agreement and were aware of their rights and refused to do the heavy work assigned to them. Their contract was terminated by mutual agreement between the labourers and their employers. In 1881, thirty-eight more Indians arrived from New Caledonia and again most of them left but some stayed taking Indian wives or island women.

Arrival under the indentured system- The colonial authorities promoted the sugar cane industry, recognising the need to establish a stable economic base for the colony, but were unwilling to exploit indigenous labour and threaten the Fijian way of life. The use of imported labour from the Solomon Islands and what is now Vanuatu generated protests in the United Kingdom, and the Governor Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon decided to implement the indentured labour scheme, which had existed in the British Empire since 1837. A recruiting office was set up especially around Calcutta and the South, West and North later, especially a lot in rural village areas in different farming regions, land and areas.

The Leonidas, a labour transport vessel, disembarked at Levuka from Calcutta on 14 May 1879. The 463 indentured workers who disembarked were the first of over 61,000 to arrive from South and East Asia in the following 37 years. The majority were from the districts of eastern and southern provinces, followed by labourers from northern and western regions, then later south eastern countries, they originated from different regions, villages, backgrounds and castes that later mingled or intermarried hence the "Fijian Indian" identity was created. The indentured workers originated mostly from rural village backgrounds.

Indira Gandhi visited the Pacific nation 36 years ago in 1981.

The visit will have a special emotive resonance for the vibrant Indo-Fijian community, who act as bridge-builders between the two countries. India’s tryst with Fiji started when Indians were brought in as indentured labourers in 1879 to work in sugarcane plantations by the British in the island nation. Between 1879 and 1916 around 60,000 Indians were brought to Fiji. Called girmitiyas, after the name of the indenture agreement entitled girmit, the persons of Indian origin now comprise 37% of the 849,000 population (2009 estimates). The Indo-Fijians now permeate every sphere of life in Fiji and have enriched their adopted homeland with their multi-faceted talents. Be it business, politics, culture or entertainment, Indo-Fijians have left their indelible stamp. Mahendra Pal Chaudhry has the unique distinction of becoming Fiji's first Indo-Fijian prime minister after he won the elections in 1999. The community has integrated well with the Fijian way of life, but has retained vital cultural and spiritual bonds with the land their ancestors left behind decades ago.

Do let me know, what do you think of this blog post. Vinaka Vakalevu.