The Forgotten Girmitiyas - Fiji’s Indentured laborers brought to Fiji as "Slavery” Girmitiyas

Synopsis: From Sugar Cane to Suva

From Sugar Cane to Suva tells the story of Indo-Fijian relations from Fiji’s colonial period in the late 1800s to present day politics. The story will be told in two parts.

From Sugar Cane to Suva, Part I: The Forgotten Girmitiyas
The Forgotten Girmitiyas will tell the story of the Indian indentured laborers first brought to Fiji from India by British colonists in 1879. We will investigate the lives of these indentured laborers and attempt to show how their presence in Fiji changed the cultural landscape of Fiji forever.

From Sugar Cane to Suva, Part II: The Indo-Fijian Future
The Indo-Fijian Future will tell the story of the post-colonial power struggle in Fiji between ethnic Indians and native Fijians, starting with the country’s independence in 1970 and including events through 2014.

Warriors of Toil is a creative journey I began in 2002 and took seven years to complete. The result is my film, Warriors of Toil The Forgotten Girmitiyas, the book by the same name, and another book, Fiji in Turmoil. The journey was extremely hard and I am happy to say I've completed it. Thank you Ganesha. In the making of all these works, I have enjoyed many new life experiences, from meeting new friends and family to deepening my understanding of life and human nature.

I am extremely proud to have made this film and written these books. In the process, I was rejected by every funding source, from the USA to Fiji. I was not deterred and hope to be remembered for my accomplishments rather than my failures, although there is value there as well. My film may not win any awards but I am happy that it will educate millions change their thinking and widen their horizons.



Many many thanks to Bill Van Belle for letting me use his camera to make this film and other shows. Before making this film, I did not even own a video camera. My film was made of my personal toil, kind donations of time and resources, and my hard earned money. My sincerest wish is that my project will prove to be a worthy labor.

Please watch and read the books carefully and be a warrior of toil yourself!
Director’s Mission Statement

As an Indo-Fijian myself, I was raised to believe that the indigenous Fijians could do no wrong. Not only that, as I was growing up, I didn’t fully understand why all the coup stuff was happening in our government. When I came to America and studied filmmaking, I began to delve more deeply into Fiji’s history at the same time. I realized that a whole portion of Fiji’s history had been overlooked by the history books, and I saw a connection between this forgotten history and the ongoing political, cultural, and economic upheaval in my birth country.

As I went through primary school and high school, I realized that not only did they not write or teach about girmitiya history, we didn’t have Girmit Day (May 14) or any museums or memorials dedicated to the girmitiya in Fiji at that time. It has taken 131 years for this story to be told. We in Fiji need to find a solution to the legacy left by the colonial powers: the ongoing power struggle between Indians and Fijians. I hope that, with my own telling of the girmitiya story, I can be part of that solution. I hope that this film will broaden understanding and stimulate involvement as they reveal the hardship, courage, and commitment of those forgotten girmitiyas whose hearts and minds were focused on the many challenges confronting humanity.
I know what it is like to go against overwhelming odds being the first filmmaker from
Fiji. But, I see this as an opportunity to advance my career as a Asian filmmaker, while
telling a wonderful story's. While cinema can provide entertainment and escape, for many
committed filmmakers and viewers it is a vital medium of information and powerful tool
educate and enhance for social change.Tackling wide- range, thought-provoking
issues,activist filmmakers help deepen our awareness of the value of dignity,equality,
and justice, as they tell universal stories of human struggle and triumph.

The Director is the creative force that pulls a film together, responsible for turning the words of a
script into images on the screen. Actors, Cinematographers, Writers, and Editors orbit
around the director like planets around the Sun. Despite the director's pivotal
role, most Hollywood/Bollywood movies are designed to pull you into the story without
being aware of the director's hand. Many talented film directors such as independent film
maker with long lists of feature film credits are so skilled at being "invisible" that they are little known by the movie-going public.

SUNIL BRIJ BHAN
“Prominent Fiji residents in the US”
Sphere of Influence by US Fiji Times Arvind Mani

Some of the Interviewed
Mahendra Chaudhry
Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka
Brij Lal
Ganesh Chand

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