Fiji digitizes 'Girmitiya' records for easier online access

Fiji is embarking on a significant project to digitize over 60,000 "Girmitiya" records, a move aimed at making the history of indentured laborers more accessible to descendants and researchers online. The initiative will convert crucial documents like immigrant passes and plantation records, currently housed at the National Archives, into a digital database.

Assistant Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs Shalen Kumar explained that previously, accessing these records required a physical visit to the National Archives and manual searches through large books. The digitization process will enable users to search for ancestors online using details such as their name, arrival ship, or year of arrival in Fiji.

“

Girmitiyas who came to Fiji in those days, their immigrant pass, which is currently in the National Archives, if anyone wants to know about it, they have to go to the National Archives, and the book in which it is kept, you have to see the photocopy and you can use it.

Kumar highlighted that this project is a key component of the government's commitment to preserving Fiji's "Girmit" heritage. Alongside the development of the "Girmit" Museum, digitizing these records will safeguard this important history and ensure future generations can easily connect with their ancestral past. The project aims to protect and promote the legacy of those who came to Fiji during the indenture period.

“

Girmitiyas who came to Fiji in those days, their immigrant pass, which is currently in the National Archives, if anyone wants to know about it, they have to go to the National Archives, and the book in which it is kept, you have to see the photocopy and you can use it.