Fiji is a small island state in the middle of the Pacific. It has a multiracial population of 800,000 comprising of 42 per cent Indians, 51 per cent native Fijians and 7 per cent mixed races.
The Indians in Fiji are the third and fourth generation descendants of the British crown colony. India’s relations with Fiji commenced in 1879 when Indian labourers were taken there under indentured system to work on sugarcane plantations.
The first ship load of 498 labourers arrived in Fiji on May 14, 1879. Between 1879 and 1916 (when this system was abolished) around 60,000 Indians were brought to Fiji.
In popular parlance, indenture was known as ‘Girmit’ – a distortion of agreement and those taken under it the ‘Girmityas’. Their descendents now form the second largest (44 per cent as per 1996 census) ethnic group in Fiji.
Despite maintaining minimal contacts with India, the ethnic Indian community here has retained their religion, culture, tradition and language. They speak Fiji Hindi (a mixture of Awadhi and Bhojpuri).
Hindustani is recognised as one of the three official languages (besides English and Fijian) as per 1997 Constitution.
Hindustani is recognised as one of the three official languages (besides English and Fijian) as per 1997 Constitution.
Owing to 1987 and 2000 coups, over one lakh Fijians of Indian origin have emigrated from Fiji between 1987 and April 2004, mainly to Australia, New Zealand, US and Canada.
Fiji has a small but growing Indian expatriate (around 400) population. These are mostly professionals such as doctors, IT specialists, accountants, sales and marketing executives, teachers, etc.
A number of them are working in the University of South Pacific. Several Indian doctors have also been employed by the Government Hospitals here. Most of the expatriates are working in local companies owned by Gujarati businessmen.
Mahendra Chaudhry became the first ethnic Indian to become Fiji’s Prime Minister after the new constitution was formed in 1997.