The time is nearing for South African Girmitiyas to reflect on their commonalities, shared experiences, challenges and solutions with fellow Girmitiyas in the diaspora.

The Global Girmitiya Centre of South Africa is inviting the public to attend a “The Girmitiya Diaspora in 2025: Identity, challenges and shaping our future” workshop set to take place on July 12 at L’Aperitivo – The Auroras, 9 Aurora Dr, Umhlanga Ridge, Durban.

The workshop will include participation from: 

• Shri Ravindra Dev (Guyana) – Identity & cohesion, 
• Professor (Dr) Sandili Ramdial- Maharaj (Trinidad) – The psyche of the oppressed & oppressor: Girmitiya experience
• Professor Kapil Kumar (New Delhi) – Revealing suppressed realities
• Professor Ganesh Chand (Fiji) – The way forward
• Bugsy Singh (South Africa) – Girmitiya in SA & facilitation

The Global Girmitiya Centre of SA (affiliated to the Global Girmitiya Institute) was established to highlight the South African Girmitiya’s history, challenges, heroes and role in the pursuit of social cohesion and nation building – and to liaise with Girmitiya populations in the diaspora.

The centre said that in these globalised times, they appreciate that Girmitiyas, courtesy of imperialist designs, have also dispersed far and wide in the world – in the Caribbean, Fiji, Malaysia, Mauritius.

“They are our kin and kith, from the same civilisation, also mercilessly wrenched from their homelands.”

The centre said that between 1860 to 1911, a total of 152,184 Girmitiyas were othered almost exclusively in the erstwhile province of Natal by imperial Britain.

“The historiography of this Girmit to SA surpasses the imperial excesses described in the rest of the Girmitiya diaspora. 

“While not slaves, Girmitiyas were most certainly not free persons – incarcerated in the maelstrom of human despoilation – of our culture, our traditions, our dignity, our religion and language – in a distant land. 

“With Africans and Coloureds, Girmitiyas were subjected to legislated racism and other ravages of apartheid,” the centre said.

“Ordinarily, the relaying of the Girmitiya history to the wider population would contribute immensely to social cohesion and the entrenchment of nation-building.

“Since their arrival in Natal in 1860, Girmitiyas have made a stellar contribution to the economy and development of the province and South Africa – initially the sugar industry, then coal mining, railway construction and latterly to healthcare, education and social support structures.

“In present times, the socioeconomic success of some legatees of the Girmit in SA must not cloud the deep socioeconomic challenges that continue to be faced by many other legatees of the Girmit, as well as the toiling masses in SA,” the centre said.

“It is appropriate, more than ever, to highlight the Girmitiyas and their stellar contributions made toward the building of the country.”

To RSVP (for catering purposes) and queries: V Rampersadh – 081 2977946; A Moodley – 0603741486; D Naidoo – 0823334377, or email: secretary@globalgirmityaac.org

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