Fiji Indians escalate fight for Pacific identity, Race Relations Commissioner hopes for resolution soon

Thursday, 20 May 2021

Fiji Indians in New Zealand have stepped up their fight for a Pacific identity, with one local community organisation calling for an official recognition from the government.

And the Fiji Girmit Foundation New Zealand says Fiji Indians need to be acknowledged as part of an inclusive Pacific community where diversity is embraced and celebrated.

The foundation intensified its call at the recent Girmit Remembrance Day 2021 held in Auckland to commemorate 142 years since the arrival of the first Indians to Fiji.

'We are Pacific people,' foundation president Krish Naidu told guests at the event attended by more than 1500 members of the community including Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon, MPs, dignitaries and community leaders.

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* Girmit Day: Why May 14 is significant for Fiji's Indians

* Fiji Girmit descendants part of our national fabric: Bainimarama pays tribute to girmitiya Indians

* Girmit Day in Auckland looks back on 140 years since arrival of first Indians in Fiji

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* NFP leader calls on community to exemplify the courage shown by our forefathers**

'We are not asking for a favour - we just wish to be recognised for what we are.

'Fijian Indians are blessed to have multiple identities,' said Naidu whose organisation has been at the forefront of moves for an official 'Pacific' classification for the diaspora.

'While we honour and respect our Indian/Asian roots and ancestry, that does not mean our Pacific identity should be denied or ignored.'

More than 60,000 Indians were brought to Fiji by the British from 1879 to 1916 to work the sugar cane plantations as indentured labourers. Most stayed back and made Fiji their home, contributing widely to the country's economic, social and cultural diversity.

'The important point to make here is that the Fiji Indian community are not claiming to be ethnically indigenous Fijians, but want to claim that identity as a Fiji national and citizen of the Pacific,' said Meng Foon, who was chief guest at the Remembrance Day event.

'It is important for any community to feel they have an identity which they can call their own.

'Identity has proven to be a major issue when it comes to the mental well-being of individuals, so to have uncertainty in this area can be debilitating,' Foon said.

Naidu said they had approached the Ministry of Pacific Peoples two years ago, but the response had not been favourable, with Minister Aupito Williams Sio saying the classification for Fijian-Indians was in line with an ethnographic profile which included people with a common language, customs and traditions.

On Friday, May 14, the exact day the first Indians stepped on to Fijian soil, the foundation lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission claiming discrimination by the ministry against the Fiji Indian diaspora.

'An official recognition is needed from the government beyond the role of Stats NZ,' said Naidu, who believed there were between 80,000 and 100,000 Fiji Indians in New Zealand, contrary to the 15,000 documented by Statistics New Zealand.

As Naidu puts it, at the heart of the matter is the fact the there is an inaccurate assessment of issues and circumstances relating to the Fiji Indian community, resulting in unfair dissemination of vital resources in health and education.

Naidu accused the Ministry of Pacific Peoples for 'structural and institutional discrimination'.

'The Ministry for Pacific Peoples role is to improve outcomes for Pacific peoples by bringing Pacific voice, perspective and understanding into policy.

'To do this effectively, the Fiji Indian voice must be heard, our people need to part of the official policy frameworks of the Pacific people.

'We must be part and parcel of it - not just when it suits.'

Naidu said at this point in time decisive political leadership was needed in order give the community a sense of belonging, equality, and status. 

'The taxpayer-funded Ministry of Pacific Peoples is for all Pacific people, it is not a ministry for indigenous Pacific people alone. 

'The bias, institutional and structural discrimination must stop.  And for that, we need real political leadership,' Naidu said. 'It is a human rights issue.' 

Naidu said the research, design, and delivery of services for Pacific people should include Fiji Indians, 'in areas like education and health to name a few'.

'Our people also feature negatively with issues like diabetes, heart disease, mental health; certain diseases could be linked to Fiji and our lifestyle back home.

'Real gains for the overall New Zealand health system can only be made if we capture the diversity of all Pacific people.'

Commissioner Meng Foon was hopeful some solution to the issue could be found soon as far as human rights was concerned.

'The commission is here to support anyone in New Zealand who feel they have been aggrieved or discriminated against,' Foon said.

'We also support the fair treatment of all, and this includes in the collection of data which could impact the fair distribution of resources.

'The Fiji Indian community in New Zealand has expressed its concern for over 20 years and I would hope some resolution can be found soon,' Foon said.

'I hope a solution can be found within the framework of human rights.'