Book on the lives and history of Indians in Fiji released on Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

The book by Rekha Chaturvedi offers insight into the lives and sufferings of British Raj imposed indentured labour (Coolies) from India.

Published on: Jan 9, 2025, 15:41:16 IST

By HT News Desk

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Author and academician Rekha Chaturvedi released her book “Fiji Mein Bhartiyon Ka Itihas Tatha Unka Jeevan (1879–1947)" [(The Life and History of Indians in Fiji (1879-1947)] on the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Day.

The book offers a deep insight into the lives and sufferings of indentured labour from India, according to the author. The book is a call to recognise and honour the sacrifices of the Indian diaspora, ensuring their stories are preserved for future generations, she added.

Indentured labour, also known as ‘Coolies’, is a painful chapter of the British Rule in India. South Africa, Mauritius, Trinidad, Guyana and Fiji have had a long and dark past of forced labour, with people pushed to work in inhuman conditions performing arduous tasks.

This book, published by Sasta Sahitya Mandal, brings to the fore the indenture of these labour forces in services and their inhuman treatment and living conditions on the island nation of Fiji. This issue was highlighted by the author’s grandfather Banarasi Das Chaturvedi in his book ‘Fiji main mere 21 Varsh’, based on the experiences of Totaram Sanadhya, who was an indentured labour in Fiji.

The senior Chaturvedi spent several years in Fiji and wrote extensively about the predicament of Indians there. Inspired by her grandfather’s work, the author’s research highlights the struggles and resilience of Indian diaspora communities, particularly Girmitiyas. The system of indentured labour in Fiji was formally ended in 1920.

The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 9, 2025.

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