This history must never be forgotten, in case it repeats itself, we tend to forget what contribution other people made. ‘‘ – The Rt Hon. the Lord Dholakia OBE DL “ The unknown story of indentured labour in Fiji LEARNING TOOLKIT nutkhut.co.uk nutkhut nutkhutuk Credits: Ajay Chhabra (Artistic Director), Louise Green (Project Manager), Ellie Newland (Learning & Engagement Manager), Design: iDivision.co.uk Special thanks to all our Girmitya descendants who shared memories and stories of life, family and friendship. Without you this story could not have been told. Girmit is dedicated to Lali & Sita Maharaj whose stories have been central in the story of Indentured labour in Fiji. LEARNING TOOLKIT Lali and Sita Maharaj circa 1950. A wonderful project full of so much creative potential, The combination of natural history and human history has endless possibilities. So very often, indenture is portrayed as a dreadful story of drudgery, which it was -- my grandfather was an indentured labourer -- but it was simultaneously a history of enslavement as well as emancipation. I mention this because this has been the thrust of my work over a lifetime. – Professor Brij Lal ‘‘ ‘‘
OUR APPROACH We aim to bring art and heritage together to make history more accessible. We’re passionate about the power of creativity to promote a deeper understanding of complex past events. In our experience, the seeds of emotional engagement are first sown through art, drama or creative writing. Without this initial hook, young people are less likely to see the relevance of the subject matter to their own lives. Nutkhut’s Defining Moments projects aim to mark significant historical anniversaries and moments in time which reflect on the rich and complex inter-relationship between Britain and South Asian communities. Never set eyes on the Land is the second in this series following the 2016 production of Dr Blighty exploring the story of wounded WW1 Indian soldiers who convalesced in the Royal Pavilion Brighton. Girmit marks the 75th anniversary of Partition A NOTE ON THIS TOOLKIT This toolkit is inspired by the people that spoke to us so generously about their family’s experience of indenture. We have based it around the experiences of one indentured labourer, Lali Maharaj, who was born in 1890 and made the journey from India to the sugar plantations in Fiji when he was just fourteen years old. We chose his story as we have managed to find out a lot about it through his great-grandson, Ajay Chhabra, the Artistic Director of this project. Whilst Lali’s experience cannot possibly reflect those of all 60,000 Indians sent to Fiji, we hope hanging everything on one story will help young people engage on a more personal level with the subject. CONTENTS: Pages Toolkit overview 04 The Girmit Experience 06 How to use Google Cardboard 07 Who did we work with? 08 Meet Lali and Sita 10 Lali’s Story Historical background 12 What is indentured labour? 12 Why did people sign up to be labourers? 12 Why Fiji? 12 How did people get there? 13 What was life like for labourers in Fiji? 13 How is all this relevant to a child living in Britain in the 21st century? 14 Indentured labour timeline 16 Learning activities 18 The Jewel in the Crown (History, Geography) 18 Signing the Girmit (Drama, History, SMSC) 22 A Distant Shore (History, English) 24 White Gold (History, SMSC) 30 Hand on your Heart (Art, English, SMSC) 32 Choices that Change the World (Geography, SMSC) 34 Find out more 39 Emotional engagement is a feature of effective teaching of controversial issues. i.e., students have to want to care enough about the issues to arouse both their curiosity and their willingness to engage fully with the questions that are likely to require hard thinking and problem-solving. T.E.A.C.H.: Teaching Emotive and Controversial History, A Report from The Historical Association, 2007 ‘‘ ‘‘ WORDS WE USE Indenture – a system of bonded labour following the abolition of slavery, in which people from India, China and the Pacific agreed to work abroad for a period of five years or more. Girmit – from the word ‘agreement’ This refers to the contract between the people taken from their homes and the British government. Girmitya - indentured Indian labourers sent to Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa and the Caribbean to work on sugar cane plantations. The unknown story of indentured labour in Fiji LEARNING TOOLKIT 02 03 We’d like to thank the following partners for enabling the Girmit story to be told: PlayLa.bZ, the National Archives, the Heritage Fund, Kew Gardens and the Mela Partnership.
WHAT IS THE GIRMIT EXPERIENCE? The Girmit Experience is an arts project starting a conversation about indentured labour. The word ‘Girmit’ comes from the word ‘agreement’. It was used to refer to the five-year contract signed by Indian people persuaded by the British Raj to leave their homes and make the 7,000-mile journey to Fiji, to work on the sugar plantations. This toolkit works alongside the Girmit.World website to provide a legacy for the project. We aim to promote awareness about the devastating human cost of indenture and its relevance to young people living in Britain today. WHO IS THIS TOOLKIT FOR? It’s mainly designed for KS2 and KS3 teachers. However, anyone interested in indentured labour or migration will find it useful. WHAT WILL I FIND IN THE TOOLKIT? • A brief overview of indentured labour • Accompanying English, History, Geography, Drama and SMSC-based activities to complete with your class • A list of resources to help you find out more. HOW DOES THIS TOOLKIT LINK TO THE CURRICULUM? The British Empire is first covered in Key Stage 3 of the current History curriculum. At KS3 Indian indentured labour can fit in to the following non-statutory examples described by the National Curriculum: • Ideas, political power, industry and empire: Britain, 1745-1901 • The development of the British Empire with a depth study (for example, of India) • Challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day • Indian independence and end of Empire. NATIONAL CURRICULUM IN ENGLAND: HISTORY PROGRAMMES OF STUDY There are also links to the English, History, Geography, Drama and SMSC curricula. The activities in this pack could form the basis of a cross curricular post-SATS project for Year 6 students at KS2. HOW SHOULD I USE THE TOOLKIT? However’s most useful to you! We’ve designed it as a springboard from which to explore indentured labour, rather than as a standalone resource. Feel free to use the suggested class activities as they are, or expand on or alter them. This resource works best when used alongside the Girmit.World website. Here you will find a plug and play resource to introduce the subject to your group, as well as a wealth of audio-visual content to bring Lali’s story to life. Look out for the Girmit World thumbprint, which will show you how you might incorporate this content. The Girmit.World website features interactive virtual reality content. This is best viewed with a Google Cardboard headset (see page 07 for how to use it). However, it can also be used without. The toolkit also contains Student Share pages, which are designed to be used as student hand-outs and/or displayed on an interactive whiteboard. 04 05
WHO ARE WE (NUTKHUT)? Nutkhut (Sanskrit for mischievous) is an ideas-led, art-focused performance company creating work mixing performance, dance, film and participation. We are often inspired by historical people and places and tell universal stories that bring people together in unexpected ways. We’re London-based and led by co-Artistic Directors Ajay Chhabra and Simmy Gupta. WHAT DID WE DO? The Girmit Experience is the third instalment of Nutkhut’s ‘Defining Moments’ arts and heritage series, and tells the untold story of the ‘Girmityas’ (indentured labourers). The Covid-19 pandemic pushed the project team to adopt a new approach to shape and share the story. In addition to this toolkit, we partnered with a multidisciplinary team of digital artists from all over the world to bring this complex period of history to life in a myriad of different ways: • A 3600 immersive experience that can be discovered on any smartphone, or ‘stepped into’ using a headset • A series of multi-dimensional digital heirlooms, presented as 3D illustrations • A graphic novel by Fijian artist Tui Ledua • Oral history recordings of conversations with the descendants of Girmityas. WHY DID WE DO IT? The Black Lives Matter movement has been pivotal in forcing us to confront the complexities of our past. As people take to the streets and statues topple, never has it felt more urgent to look for stories that have been forgotten and side-lined by history. The empire exploited two million Indians for profit under the indentured labour scheme. Yet this is still not spoken about in our schools. Sharing what little we can find out about these experiences is our small way of adding overlooked voices to the history books. BY CREATING THE GIRMIT EXPERIENCE, WE HOPE TO EDUCATE, INSPIRE AND FACILITATE OPEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE BRITISH-FIJIAN INDENTURED LABOUR DIASPORA. Nutkhut’s co-Artistic Directors: Ajay Chhabra and Simmy Gupta. The unknown story of indentured labour in Fiji Nutkhut Cardboard User Guide Welcome to the wonderful world of Nutkhut! Technology is driving our upcoming project Girmit and we are delving into the world of virtual immersive entertainment. We welcome you to try our personalised Nutkhut Cardboard, which can be used to view our Girmit 360° Immersive Experience. You can also watch 180° and 360° videos for an immersive experience with Cardboard and the YouTube mobile app. To view our Girmit 360° Immersive Experience go to www.girmit.world or scan this QR to access the website. Getting started with your cardboard headset... 1) Take your cardboard out of the sleeve. 2) Open the top flap of the viewer. 3) Lift the flaps toward you and press them against the fasteners on the sides. 4) Open the Youtube app on your phone and select a video you would like to view. 5) To start playback, tap the play button. 6) Tap the cardboard icon . The screen will split into two smaller screens. 7) Insert your phone inside the Cardboard and then close the top flap and secure. Product safety information • Take frequent breaks while using Cardboard. If you experience nausea, discomfort, eye strain or disorientation, discontinue using Cardboard immediately. • Cardboard is not for use by children without adult supervision. • Do not use Cardboard while driving, walking or in any way that distracts you from real-world situations and prevents you from obeying traffic or safety regulations. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery immediately after using Cardboard if you feel impaired or disoriented. • If you have had or could be prone to seizures, consult a doctor before using Cardboard. www.nutkhut.co.uk HOW TO USE GOOGLE CARDBOARD 06 07
WHO DID WE WORK WITH? KEW GARDENS At the heart of Kew Gardens in West London sits a giant glasshouse, its Cathedral-like structure stretching nineteen metres into the sky. This is the Temperate House, the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse. It is home to tens of thousands of plants from much warmer parts of the world, from Africa and the Americas to New Zealand, Asia and the Pacific Islands, including Fiji. Strolling through the lush tangle of greenery it would be easy to miss the towering green sugarcane plant. But in a way, this is where our Girmit story begins. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries plant collectors from Britain travelled all over the globe to collect seeds and cuttings for Kew. These botanical trophies were shipped back thousands of miles over perilous seas, many enjoying the shelter of miniature glass cases designed to protect them from the elements. The so-called ‘plant hunters’ who went out into the world to find the specimens were part of a group of gentlemen hobbyists whose personal collections of exotic plants became a status symbol. More than this, their pursuits fed into a larger system of economic botany. In this system, plants providing commodities like sugar, rubber and cocoa underpinned the rapid expansion of the British Empire. The soaring sugarcane plants thriving under the shelter of London’s most famous greenhouse have their origins in Fiji. For over fifty years plants such as these were cultivated for profit by the colonial powers on the Pacific Islands. This was made possible due to the hard work of thousands of Indian indentured labourers, whose lost stories our project aims to tell. THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES Just a stone’s throw from Kew Gardens, another imposing building is the home to The National Archives, keeper of over 1000 years of important documents belonging to the British government. Here we can trace elements of the same legacy in the records which relate to Indian indentured labourers. Notably, individual stories are missing from the meticulous documents detailing how the labourers were contracted, transported and employed. What does emerge is a picture of a system in which the Girmityas were valued very much as an economic resource to be exploited for profit. For example, while any births, deaths and marriages on the indentured ships were recorded, new mothers were listed as ‘coolie’ instead of by name. This offensive term referring to indentured labourers dehumanises and reveals the attitude of the colonial powers at the time. PLAYLA.BZ & LORNA INMAN Our research at Kew Gardens and The National Archives worked in tandem with the oral history project to form the bedrock of the Girmit project. But we knew we wanted to go a step further to bring the stories we uncovered to life. We partnered with multi-dimensional arts space PlayLa.bZ, who helped us forge a new path by creating a virtual reality Girmit world. We commissioned VR artist Lorna Inman to paint the multidimensional skies, seas and sugarcane fields of Fiji. Our audience is invited to walk around the resulting artwork, which breathes life into the story of one indentured labourer, Lali. This 360ª world is further enhanced by a bespoke soundscape featuring spoken word and ambient sound. Lorna also created six multidimensional digital heirlooms. When families are displaced by migration, special objects passed down from generation to generation rarely exist. To start conversations about memory and legacy, Lorna created virtual versions of these lost artefacts for the audience to explore. Check out girmit.world for a video exploring Lorna’s process on the project. MEET LORNA INMAN Lorna is a London-based virtual reality artist. She graduated with a BA Hons in Art & Design from Leeds University in 2019. She paints entire digital worlds to create immersive experiences. These are used for films, events and performance. 08 09
It wasn’t an easy choice to make. His Indian village was the only home he’d ever known. His Hindu faith had also taught him to fear the ‘kala pani’, or ‘black water’, of the ocean. Since he was a small boy, he had listened, wide eyed, to stories of the sea as the final resting place for powerful gods who should never be disturbed. In bustling, humid Calcutta, Lali boarded a huge metal ship with over 500 Indians who had been forced to make the same difficult decision. With one step onto the ship, he said goodbye to India forever, and forged ahead towards a very different future. Surrounded on all sides by the ‘black water’ he was afraid of, Lali spent three gruelling months at sea. The boat moved through sticky, suffocating heat, through tropical storms and long, silent nights. Many people were sick and scared about what might be waiting for them when they reached their destination. Looking up at the tropical blue sky, Lali had no idea he would never see India again. LALI’S STORY In the middle of India, far far away from any ocean, stands a huge peepul tree. With a wide trunk stretching up a hundred feet into the cloudless sky, its branches provide much needed shade in the hot dry heat of summer. It was under this very tree, over 130 years ago, that Lali was born. Lali was born into a Hindu family, and grew up singing traditional songs and listening to stories about his brave ancestors. When he was ten years old the monsoon rain failed to come. The harvest failed and there was no food. Lali was hungry. His family were hungry. His neighbours were hungry. When strangers offered Lali the chance to move to Fiji they talked of a fertile land where food was plenty. Of trees heavy with bananas, guava and coconuts, of rich soil and rain. Lali agreed to set sail for this new land to work the sugar fields for five years. In return he was promised decent wages and as much food as he wanted. The excitement Lali felt as his feet touched the Fijian soil was short lived. He was barely fourteen years old but was expected to cut sugarcane for fifteen hours a day, six days a week. The men who ran the plantations often treated Lali and his fellow workers badly. For five years, day in, day out, he’d follow the same routine. Up at 4am with the rising of the sun, he would toil the land in the heat with few breaks before returning to his bed on the floor as the sun was setting. After five long, hard years, Lali’s contract was up. He was a nineteen-year-old man, and was free to live his own life. He had learned a lot about himself and the wider world during his time in Fiji. He was used to working hard. He had turned barren fields into the ‘white gold’ of sugar, and was ready to make anything from nothing. Lali set up a small shop selling tinned fish, rope and other useful things to the farming communities of Fiji. It was here he fell in love with a young woman called Sita. She had been born in Fiji to indentured labourer parents. They set up a life together, and by the 1950s had made a small fortune setting up a small shop selling tinned fish, rope and other everyday goods. They built and lived in the first double storey house in capital city Suva, and went on to have five children. Today, Lali and Sita have hundreds of descendants living in every corner of the world. Their story reminds us that there is always a place for hope, even in the most difficult times. To find out more about Lali’s story, check out the Girmit graphic novel, by Fijian artist Tui Ledua. MEET LALI & SITA Australia � � India FIJI New Zealand Indonesia Papua New Guinea Malaysia Philippines FIJI CALCUTTA 7000 MILES S> CALCUTTA MEET TUI LEDUA Tui is a Fiji-based illustrator who is proud to make artwork that he describes as ‘really, really local’. Tui loves stories, and his passion is to bring them to life with pictures. He has done lots of work with civil service organisations. OTHER IDEAS: TURN LALI’S STORY INTO YOUR OWN STORYBOARD OR COMIC STRIP. 10 11
WHAT IS INDENTURED LABOUR? In the 1800s the British occupied and ran many countries, including India and Fiji, under a system called colonialism. This involved using land and people for profit. At the start of the century, slave labour was widely used across the British Empire to grow, harvest and process crops like sugar, cocoa and rubber. When slavery was abolished in 1833, the British powers had a problem. How could they continue to satisfy the huge Western demand for these crops, and profit from it? The answer came in the form of indentured labour, or forcing people to work long hours in poor conditions for very little pay. Between 1838 and 1920 about two million people were recruited from all over India to work in nineteen different British-run countries, including Mauritius, Guyana, South Africa and Fiji. WHY DID PEOPLE SIGN UP TO BE LABOURERS? Life in India for many people at the time was tough. Indian babies born in the same year as Lali (1890) could expect to live, on average, for just 24.5 years. Lack of rain and poor management of resources by the British government resulted in widespread famine. Food and jobs were scarce. The men who came to recruit labourers for the colonies promised them food and wages. People had diverse reasons for agreeing to leave. Some made informed decisions to leave India to escape family problems or other difficulties. Many more had so few opportunities that signing up seemed the only viable choice. Each Indian signed an agreement (or ‘girmit’) for a five-year contract. Most had little idea of where they were being sent, and just how long it would take to travel there. They were told that after five years they would be able to return home to help their family and community. Sadly, this was rarely the case. WHY FIJI? Fiji is a country in the south Pacific Ocean, north of New Zealand. It is made up of over 300 rocky islands, many fringed with white sand beaches and palm trees. The islands feature hot springs, mountains and tropical rain forests. The land is very fertile and good for growing crops. Sugarcane had been growing wild in Fiji for hundreds of years when the British Empire decided to cultivate and harvest it for profit in the 19th century. The colonial powers exploited both indigenous Fijians and Indians to maximise their profit from the land. WHY SUGAR? Harvesting and selling sugar was big business: those who traded in it called it ‘white gold’. Britain had a serious craving for the stuff. People used it to sweeten their tea and coffee and to make jam and cakes. Indians and indigenous people working to harvest it in Fiji and beyond shed blood, sweat and tears to satisfy this taste for luxury thousands of miles away. HOW DID PEOPLE GET TO FIJI? Indian recruits crammed in their hundreds onto boats leaving the port of Calcutta, on India’s Eastern coast. From there the boats sailed through increasingly tropical heat and storms for weeks and weeks. Conditions were cramped, with strangers sleeping side by side on the ship floor. Many people were sick and scared about what might be waiting for them when they reached their destination. After three long months, most of the passengers disembarked in Fiji. Others were not so lucky, and died on the way. WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE FOR LABOURERS IN FIJI? The working conditions for Lali and his fellow workers were hard. Hours were long and the men running the plantations often treated them badly. I remember how fresh everything was, like mango, passion fruit, banana, pau pau (papaya) fruits. There were vegetables such as the Chinese cabbage and mustard greens. There was a vegetable called Daruka which was shaped like a sugarcane. The Daruka was curried, or put in soups or roasted. I loved the sweet coconut water best. It tasted better than lemonade! Susheila Sharma, Girmitya descendent who grew up in Fiji ‘‘ ‘‘ While growing up I witnessed the hard work my parents did to clear the jungle to create the clear land to plant sugarcane. My grandparents were indentured labourers acquired from India to work on sugar and cotton farms. It was unbelievable hardship and extremely hard work without any mechanical aid to clear the land for farming! James Sankar, Girmitya descendant ‘‘ ‘‘ We used to work all day. At three o’clock in the morning the man on horseback used to come. He would shout “Get up, get up! It’s light now. Time for work.” We used to cook and eat in a hurry – how can you eat anything so early in the morning Girmitya, interviewed in BBC documentary ‘‘ ‘‘ Indian indentured labourers preparing rice. 12 13 The Journey, Launa Inman Sugacane, Launa Inman Fiji, Launa Inman
HOW IS ALL THIS RELEVANT TO A CHILD LIVING IN BRITAIN IN THE 21ST CENTURY? To teach British history and edit out colonialism and uncomfortable practices like the slave trade and indenture is to teach half a history. At its height the British Empire spanned nearly a third of the globe, and encompassed a huge number of people. Much of these foundations can be traced in migration practices since, with many choosing Britain as their home because of existing connections to the language and culture. As British intellectual Ambalavaner Sivanandan famously said ‘we are here because you were there’. Teaching a collective, inclusive history is not only more rigorous, it can help students to understand the roots of our multicultural society. Through engaging with the Girmit project’s universal themes of identity, survival and hope, we aim to bring people together in exploring our shared past. While we cannot change history, we can look back at it to learn and start building the future we want to be a part of. While Fiji is different to the UK in almost every sense, it is imprinted in the DNA of the UK, just as the UK is imprinted in Fiji’s DNA. Fazia Shaheen, Fiji and the Fight for Belonging, From Girmit: The British Indian-Fijian Diaspora published by University of London Press Fiji, being a dot in the ocean, with such a small population, can easily be forgotten. And I think that it’s also a relevant, important part of history. Fiji was a British colony. It sought its independence in the ‘70s. And I think that, yeah, if you’re going to properly research history and where people come from, it’s important. I think it’s relevant even today. Angena Bhagwandeen, Girmitya descendant My father had settled in Leicester and was earning reasonably good money and had saved enough to buy a small terraced house and to pay for the tickets for my mother and her three young children to come to the UK. So late December 1966 we caught the large Ocean Liner, Australis, from Suva (the capital of Fiji) to travel six weeks halfway around the world across the Pacific Ocean, through the Panama Canal and across the Atlantic Ocean to land in Southampton in early February 1967. We travelled by train from Southampton to London and then train to Leicester with so many bags and trunks! Jay Kumar, Girmitya descendant ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘ The Bhagwandeen family 14 15
Credit: Wikimedia Commons Port of Calcutta 1807 1834 1879 1833 1838 1890 The transatlantic slave trade abolished First indentured labourers arrive in Mauritius First indentured labourers arrive in Fiji Slavery in all British territories abolished First indentured labourers arrive in Guyana Lali is born in central India 1916 1920 1904 1919 The last Indian indenture ship docks in Fiji Indentured labour is abolished Lali travels to Fiji to start work as an indentured labourer Lali’s indenture contract comes to an end 1899 Monsoon rains fail, pushing much of India, including Lali’s village, into famine Your group might like to copy each of the above onto an A4 piece of card and illustrate it to hang on a washing line across the classroom. You might like to encourage the children to do research into what was happening in the wider world or in their local area at the same time, to add into the timeline. INDENTURED LABOUR TIMELINE 16 17
THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN LINK TO LALI’S STORY Lali was born under a sacred peepul tree in a village in the Central provinces. YOU WILL NEED: • Girmit World website • Student Share 1 • Student Share 2 • Student Share 3, scissors, glue • Sugar paper and market pens CURRICULUM FOCUS HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY As long as we rule India, we are the greatest power in the world. If we lose it, we shall drop straight away to a third-rate power. George Curzon, Viceroy of India 1899-1905 ‘‘ ‘‘ WHAT TO DO One Set the scene with 360° Video 1 and by exploring the Peepul Tree digital heirloom. Lali and many generations of his family before him were born underneath the protective shade of this tree. Two Compare a present-day world map Student Share 1 with a world map at the height of the British Empire Student Share 2 The pink on the map represents the countries ruled by the British. Think-Pair-Share What do you notice? Is anything surprising? (Britain had the largest empire in history. When Lali was born it ruled over nearly a third of the planet.) Three Get into groups and make and use the who/ where/ why/ when/ how/ what dice Student Share 3 to come up with a list of questions about the British Empire. Four Use class discussion or internet research to answer the questions. If it’s difficult to answer any, think about why that might be (some may have potential for further research by the teacher or students at home). Five For many Indians, British rule brought poverty, hunger and suffering. The vast majority had little access to education or to the comforts of modern technology. Think-Pair-Share how might living under British rule have affected Lali’s early years? How might his life have been different from children living in Britain at the same time? Student Share 1 18 19
WHO WHERE WHEN WHAT WHY HOW Student Share 2 Student Share 3 FIJI 20 21
My grandfather came from India. The British, they took them there. They lied, British people, they lied to these Indian people. “Look, it’s this one island there and they’re paying very good money if you will go there. And you have to sign these papers.” So, they did sign the paper. As soon [as] they signed then they hold them in the boat. And then they came by boat so long, and then came to Fiji, and they didn’t know what will be coming there. Mrs Bhagwandeen, Girmitya descendant Hours per day/week Days off Food Provisions (clothing, bedding etc.) Accommodation Holidays Notice period Sickness policy Hours per day/week 16 hour days (4am-8pm), six days a week (a 96-hour working week. Most school weeks are around 30 hours) Days off Sundays Food Daily allowance of 800g rice, 115g dhal (lentil curry), 30g ghee (clarified butter) and 15g salt Provisions (clothing, bedding etc.) Every year the labourers were issued one blanket, two dhoties (Indian sarongs tied as trousers), one jacket and one cap Accommodation Shared single sex or family tin shacks. Many slept on the floor. Living quarters for an entire family were one room about one sixth of the size of an average UK classroom today Holidays None Notice period Indentured labourers were tied into a five-year contract, and not allowed to leave during this time Sickness policy There are many reports of labourers having to come into work when they were sick. Diseases spread quickly because living conditions were so cramped The men used to kick us and beat us with their whips. “Get on with your work”, they said. “This is your agreement. Girmitya, interviewed in BBC documentary CURRICULUM FOCUS DRAMA, HISTORY, SMSC SIGNING THE GIRMIT LINK TO LALI’S STORY Men came to Lali’s village and encouraged him to sign up to be an indentured labourer in Fiji. Many recruits used their thumb prints to sign the agreement (known as a ‘girmit’), as they were unable to write. YOU WILL NEED: • Girmit World website • Student Share 4 • Student Share 5 ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘ WHAT TO DO One Set the scene with 360° Video 2 and by exploring the Agreement digital heirloom. Two Work in pairs to write notes on what you believe to be a fair agreement for the new recruits to sign Student Share 4 What do you think people should have had a right to? Three Share the real agreement Student Share 5 and ask groups to compare. Class discussion. Four Split the class into pairs, and assign each half of the pair a different role as follows: Person A Imagine you are Lali. The date is Monday 2nd August 1904. Your ship docked in Fiji two days ago, and you have just completed your first full day’s work picking sugarcane. Make some bullet pointed notes about your thoughts and feelings. Person B Imagine you are an Indian journalist who has come to investigate the realities of working as an indentured labourer in Fiji. You have arranged an interview with Lali, who you have never met before. What questions might you have for him? Five Pairs use their notes to act out the interviews. Six Ask for a volunteer to come and sit in the ‘hot seat’ at the front of the class as Lali. The class can act as journalists and ask questions to try and get a better understanding of his experience. Student Share 5 Student Share 4 22 23
I’ve been exploring my Fijian roots with a mixture of fascination and a little bit of awe when I think about the journey that was first undertaken by my greatgrandfather from India to Fiji, and then a similarly long journey by sea by my nanna too from Fiji to London. It’s a remarkable thing, with not much in his pocket. Kiran Fothergill, Girmitya descendent ‘You gave us the gift of a journey’ ‘In a single step, a silent knot’ ‘Flung like stars in a blue eternity’ ‘Islands sailed close to our hearts’ ‘Nanannani, ajiajwa, fathers, mothers’ ‘In blood-bondage your fate was tied’ ‘Smells of the sea still fresh in the net’ ‘We remember you from a distant shore’ ‘A severed kite falling in a starry night’ ‘Breaking hearts for music heard no more’ ‘‘Trembling the greenfields of bitter Cain’ ‘Your pain flows in our landless vein’ ‘You are our glory, our deepest grief’ ‘Giving meaning to every grain of sand’ ‘And to every beloved tree, a green leaf’ CURRICULUM FOCUS HISTORY, ENGLISH, SMSC A DISTANT SHORE LINK TO LALI’S STORY Lali’s indentured labour ship sailed across oceans for over ten weeks to reach the distant shores of Fiji. YOU WILL NEED: • Student Share 6 • Student Share 7 • Student Share 8 JAHAJI BHAI Jahaji Bhai is Hindi for the ‘brotherhood of the boat’. It refers to the close bonds that formed between people who travelled on the indenture trips together. WHAT TO DO One Give pairs one cut-out line from the poem Student Share 6 and ask them to annotate it. You may like to write the following prompts on the board: • Powerful verbs • Alliteration • Contrasts/surprising combinations • Similes/metaphors • Words that don’t sound English • References to ‘you’ Two Read through the poem Student Share 7 stopping to allow each pair to feed back their thoughts. Encourage wider discussion as you move through. At the end reveal the title of the poem. Does this shed any light on what the poem might be about? Who do you think the ‘you’ in the poem might be? What were the Girmityas’ gifts? Who did they give them to? Student Share 6 What people don’t understand about migration is that those who leave are changed the moment they leave. Rebecca Singh, from the article Going Somewhere ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘ Three Set the scene with 360° video 3 and by exploring the wrapped body digital heirloom (if suitable for the group). Four Choose a word or a phrase from the poem and use it as the title for your own poem or piece of writing about the journey. Choose some of the techniques on the board to make your words more powerful. Five Ask each student to share their favourite line or phrase from their piece of writing out loud. Other ideas Compare The Gifts of the Girmityas with Calf’s Tail Student Share 8 by Sangeeta Singh, which deals with the same subject. What are the similarities? The differences? Look at the biogs for both poets. Do you think their backgrounds may have influenced their approach? Think-Pair-Share Decide which of the poems most closely matches the following descriptions. Why? • Personal • Political • Tells a Story • Simple • Hopeful • Proud • Sad • Angry • Dramatic • Imaginative • Full of natural imagery (e.g. animals, weather, landscapes) • Full of figurative language (e.g. similes, metaphors) • Emotionally powerful Which poem is your favourite? Why? 24 25
27 THE GIFTS OF THE GIRMITYAS You gave us the gift of a journey And made us friends we knew not In a single step, a silent knot— You bound our lives to so many. So many endless nights at sea So many dark days on the shore: What and whom was it all for? Flung like stars in a blue eternity. Islands sailed close to our hearts Strangers became sisters, brothers, Nanannani, ajiaajwa, fathers, mothers Living together but still worlds apart? Many gifts of the magi you brought Shared, sacrificed, blessed and died; In blood-bondage your fate was tied; Smell of the sea still fresh in the net. We remember you from a distant shore: Across the seas you crossed is our flight— A severed kite falling in a starry night– Breaking hearts for music heard no more. That soil of memory haunts our face— Trembling the green-fields of bitter Cain; Your pain flows in our landless vein— As we feel the gift of a people’s grace. You are our glory, our deepest grief You are the poems of a living land— Giving meaning to every grain of sand, And to every beloved tree, a green leaf. Satendra Nandan CALF’S TAIL Aji held onto the brown and black patched calf’s tail A pundit sang her mantra for 43 minutes Years Aji understood the calf would lead her through oceans into her next journey My Aji and I are alike We have silver hairs I am holding on to a dream tail hoping it will carry me through oceans into my next journey Sangeeta Singh Student Share 7 MEET SANGEETA SINGH Sangeeta Singh is a Fiji-born artist currently based in New Zealand. She grew up in Nakelo on the banks of Naikelemusu River in Tailevu South, Fiji. She uses her art to investigate the themes of race, gender and sexuality. Her work is inspired by women, family, love, dilemma and chaos. MEET SANTENDRA NANDAN Satendra Nandan was born in Fiji and went on to study in India, England and Australia. He was elected to Fiji Parliament in 1982 and 1987. At the time of writing, he is a professor at the University of Canberra in Australia. 26 27
THE GIFTS OF THE GIRMITYAS You gave us the gift of a journey And made us friends we knew not In a single step, a silent knot— Youbound our lives to so many. So many endless nights at sea So many dark days on the shore: What and whom was it all for? Flung like stars in a blue eternity. Islands sailed close to our hearts Strangers became sisters, brothers, Nanannani, ajiaajwa, fathers, mothers Living together but still worlds apart? Many gifts of the magi you brought Shared, sacrificed, blessed and died; In blood-bondage your fate was tied; Smell of the sea still fresh in the net. We remember you from a distant shore: Across the seas you crossed is our flight— A severed kite falling in a starry night– Breaking hearts for music heard no more. That soil of memory haunts our face— Trembling the green-fields of bitter Cain; Your pain flows in our landless vein— As we feel the gift of a people’s grace. You are our glory, our deepest grief You are the poems of a living land— Giving meaning to every grain of sand, And to every beloved tree, a green leaf. Satendra Nandan CALF’S TAIL Aji held onto the brown and black patched calf’s tail A pundit sang her mantra for 43 minutes Years Aji understood the calf would lead her through oceans into her next journey My Aji and I are alike We have silver hairs I am holding on to a dream tail hoping it will carry me through oceans into my next journey Sangeeta Singh 27 Who is ‘you’? Who is ‘us’? What do the words ‘know’ and ‘bound’ make you think of here? (Bonded labour, people being forced to work, echoes of the slave trade) What is the effect of ‘Dark days’ ? (Nights and dark, not days. Especially not on sunny Fiji. The dark days here refer to the pain and suffering of the girmityas. The alliteration make the words even more emphatic, like a drumbeat) What do these words mean? Why have they been used here? (Words of Indian origin for relatives, reinforcing the Indian identity of the girmityas) What sound do you notice in these lines? What is the effect of this? (The ‘s’ sound, reminding us of the sea) What is the ‘music heard no more’ ? (Maybe the joy for life has been lost, or the traditions of India that have been lost on the way) What is interesting about the phrase ‘bitter Cain’ ? (Sugar is sweet but it is referred to here as bitter because of the pain it has caused so many, Cain could be a reference to Cain in the Bible, a farmer who was punished by God) What does the phrase ‘green leaf’ make you think of?What is the effect of this? (Life, Spring, hope, new beginnings) What is the effect of repeating the phrase’ so many’ here? (Reinforces the seemingly endless number of nights and days suffered by the girmityas as part of their indenture) Word of Indian origin meaning ‘grandma’ Word of Indian origin meaning ‘wise person’ Word of Indian origin meaning a sacred word or phase which is repeated ‘Years’ is the only word in the poem that sits by itself on a line. What is the effect of this? (Draws attention to it, slows the poem down to make the years seem long and drawn out) What can we guess about Aji, if she is holding onto the tail? (Maybe she is a young child at this point in the story) How does the fact that she is holding onto a calf’s tail, not a cow’s tail, help create the impression of a younger person? (Calfs are younger and smaller) Could the ‘patched’ calf be significant? (The cow is two different colours, perhaps reflecting the way descendants of girmityas might see themselves as both Indian and Fijian What is the effect of the word ‘oceans’? (Oceans makes us picture a vast, almost neverending distance) What do you think ‘dream tail’ is? (Some kind of guiding light, perhaps faith, self belief or the wisdom of the poet’s Aji being passed down the generations) Which other line in the poem does the last line echo? What is the effect of this? (Reinforcing the similarities between the poet and her Aji, focusing on Indo Fifians in diaspora today, leaving the poem on a hopeful note) Why has the poet chosen to out the words ‘minutes’ and ‘years’ together here? (Reinforcing the fact that the initial journey the girmityas started out on turned into a whole lifetime away from their homes) What does the word ‘understood’ tell us about Aji? (Even as a young girl Aji was wise, and understood the significance of the journey she was starting out on) How do you think the poet feels about being similar to her Aji? (Proud! Not the use of ‘my’ to claim Aji as hers and the use of the word ‘we’ to unify them) Why is the word ‘silver’ so powerful here? (Precious, dreamlike, wisdom) Why is the word ‘flung’ so powerful here? (Makes you think of something being thrown a long way with some force. Perhaps with not much care where it lands. A simile for the girmityas) What is a ‘severed kite’? (Perhaps a nod to the kite flying festival in India which symbolises independence. As part of the festival people try to bring rival kites to the floor. The word ‘severed’ is a violent, graphic word) Why is ‘trembling’ so powerful here? What does it remind you of? (We tremble when we are afraid) Who is interesting about combining ‘glory’ and ‘grief’ in this line? (Contrasting words. The descendants of girityas feel immensely proud of their heritage but also carry the pain of their ancestors) Teacher’s notes Teacher’s notes 28 29
WHITE GOLD LINK TO LALI’S STORY Lali was only a small cog in a global sugar-producing machine. YOU WILL NEED: • Girmit World website • Bag of sugar (or a picture of a bag of sugar) • Student Share 9 • Student Share 10 They used to make all these men get up very early in the morning and go and cut all these guava trees and all these things. The plantation owners used to go on their horse, and if we don’t do the work, they would whip us Mrs Bhagwandeen, Girmitya descendent ‘‘ ‘‘ THE TRUTH ABOUT SUGAR Can you stick these sugar facts back together? A - Union representing labourers who pick and crush the cane on Fiji B - Factory employees who purify and filter the juice in Fiji C - Australian shipping company who ship the raw sugar from Fiji to Australia D - Factory employees who process the raw sugar in Australia E - British shipping company responsible for shipping the refined sugar from Australia to the UK F - Factory employees who package the sugar in the UK G - British company who create a brand and advertising campaign for the sugar H - Supermarkets and other shops selling the finished product in the UK Student Share 9 ANSWERS A2, B5, C9, D8, E10, F7, G3, H4, I6, J1 A. Number of teaspoons of sugar we eat on average in the UK every day 1. Biscuits B. Different names sugar can be listed under in an ingredient list 2. 15 C. Maximum number of teaspoons of sugar the World Health Organisation advise we should eat every day 3. Appetite D. How many items sold in supermarkets have added sugar in them 4. Learn and remember E. How often a British child gets a tooth removed in hospital due to tooth decay 5. Glucose, Sucrose, fructose, lactose, maltose F. Number of teaspoons of sugar in a can of fizzy drink 6. Dopamine G. Sugar increases your __________ 7. 10 H. Sugar affects the connections in your brain and makes it harder for you to ___________ 8. Over 80% I. The name of the feel-good chemical sugar gives your brain (making it physically addictive) 9. 6 J. The UK eats more of these than any other country in Europe 10. Every 10 minutes CURRICULUM FOCUS HISTORY, SMSC WHAT TO DO One Can you match up the facts about sugar on Student Share 9 ? Two Lali and others worked hard to satisfy a huge growth in demand for sugar in Australia and Britain. Set the scene with the 360° video 3 and by exploring the Sugarcane digital heirloom. Three Show the class a bag of sugar. Ask if they have any idea about the journey sugar makes from field to supermarket, and who might be involved in that journey. Class discussion. Four Display Student Share 10 Split the class up into groups of four and assign each one of the sugar production roles. The price you pay for 500g of sugar in a UK supermarket is roughly £1. This must be split between everybody involved in getting that sugar from the sugarcane fields in Fiji to the supermarket shelf. Discuss with your group how many pence out of that £1 you believe you should be entitled to, and the reasons why. Feedback. The teacher or a student volunteer should keep a running total on the board of how much each group thinks they are entitled to. This is likely to add up to more than £1 in total. Five Think-Pair-Share Who decides who is paid what? Who is in the strongest negotiating position? Who lacks power? Why? What other factors must be considered (cost of living, what customers are prepared to pay, what competitors are charging, etc.) Student Share 9 Student Share 10 30 31
30 31 CURRICULUM FOCUS ART, ENGLISH, HISTORY, SMSC HAND ON YOUR HEART LINK TO LALI’S STORY Though life for the Girmityas was incredibly tough, Lali and others like him stayed strong and true to themselves. YOU WILL NEED: • Girmit World website • Student Share 11 • Student Share 12 WHAT TO DO One Set the scene with 360° video 5 and by exploring the Coconut digital heirloom. Two Think-Pair-Share If you were living in a world that was designed to make you feel powerless, what would you do to resist and stay strong? (Some ideas might be remembering your core beliefs, singing traditional songs, relationships with your fellow workers, humour, striking, cooking traditional foods etc.) Three Trace the outline of your hand on a piece of paper and fill the inside of the lines with pictures and/or words about what makes you uniquely you. You can use a combination of different colours and mediums both inside and outside the hand print shape to bring your hand print to life, or include collage and texture. We’ve provided some writing prompts if anybody gets stuck, but students should be encouraged to use their own ideas. Four Create a display of your hand prints in the classroom. They remind us how unique and strong each of us is. And also of the strength of the Girmityas, whose story our project aims to tell. The British may have bought their labour, but they couldn’t crush their spirit. Student Share 11 Student Share 12 Your first name Your place of birth Your favourite things Your favourite lyrics/poetry/quotes A description of your safe place A list of people you love Happy memories Something you are good at Something you are proud of Something that makes you special/ different/unique Something you would always fight for EXAMPLE OF HAND PRINT SELF-PORTRAITS 32 33
34 CASE STUDY 1 - RANA PLAZA TRAGEDY, BANGLADESH On 23 April 2013 huge cracks were discovered on the walls of a building housing several clothing factories in the capital city Dhaka. Despite concerns from the people working there, the next day everybody was made to go in as usual to continue their work. The ceiling fell in that very day, killing 1134 people, most of them women and children. Two thousand six hundred more were injured. The factories were making clothes for shops from the UK high street at the time, including Bonmarche, Matalan and Primark. CASE STUDY 2 - COCOA FARMERS, WEST AFRICA Cocoa beans are the base ingredient of chocolate. People working to farm them work long, gruelling days. Everyday hazards include heat exhaustion, poisoning and long-term health problems caused by pesticide use, high levels of sun exposure resulting in skin cancer, injuries from cutting tools and snake and insect bites. On average, the farmers receive just 6% of the final value of a bar of chocolate. CASE STUDY 3 - CHILD MINERS, CENTRAL AFRICA Did you know the components inside your mobile phone are made of rare materials that have to be mined from the earth? In the Democratic Republic of Congo, most of these miners are children. Some are as young as six. To afford their school fees, they work before and after the school day, as well as for two twelve-hour days at the weekend. The work involves digging ten-metre-deep holes with hand tools, breathing in toxic fumes and hauling sacks of minerals that can weigh as much as the average twelve-year-old boy. CASE STUDY 4 - FACTORY WORKERS, LEICESTER Exploiting people for profit doesn’t just happen outside the UK. In 2020 poor working conditions suffered by factory workers making clothes for online fashion retailer Boohoo were revealed. Conditions at Leicester factories were unsafe, with locked fire doors and a lack of social distancing during the Covid pandemic. The factories had filthy toilets and no drinking water. Workers were paid less than half the national minimum wage. An independent report in 2020 stated ‘Boohoo has not felt any real sense of responsibility for the workers in Leicester and the reason is a very human one: they are largely invisible to them. Student Share 13 I can get off the plane in Fiji, at the international airport, and I know for sure that aunts, uncles, cousins, would be there to greet me. And even my children, who were born in the UK, they would be greeted with open arms as well. So, that bond, that unity is there. No matter where Fijians are, Fiji-Indians, whether they’re in Australia, New Zealand, England, Canada, America, there’s always a warmth and a connection, and I think that’s very strong. Mrs Bhagwandeen, Girmitya descendant CURRICULUM FOCUS HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, SMSC CHOICES THAT CHANGE THE WORLD LINK TO LALI’S STORY Lali and Sita went on to have five children. They have descendants scattered across all four corners of the world today. YOU WILL NEED: • Girmit World website • Student Share 1 • Student Share 13 • Student Share 14 ‘‘ ‘‘ WHAT TO DO One You have three minutes to work as a pair to find as many items as possible in the room that were made in another country. Shout out the countries to the teacher/ a nominated student who will mark them on a map Student Share 1 on the board. Two Indentured labour in Fiji was abolished over a hundred years ago. Sadly, exploiting people for profit is still common today. Some of the people working to produce goods for the UK are treated and paid fairly by their employers. Some of them aren’t. Read the four case studies on Student Share 13 Think-Pair-Share Who do you think might be to blame in each case? (There may be more than one group of people). Three The decisions you make every day can mean we move towards a fairer world. Can you sort the choice statements on Student Share 14 into those that have positive and negative consequences on the world? Think-Pair-Share What might these consequences be? There may be more than one. Four Write down three ways you might be able to make different choices to help create the kind of future you want to be a part of. 34 35
Student Share 14 A - I pick up vintage clothes in charity shops, rather than buying new B - I choose to buy a banana with the ‘Fair-trade’ sticker on it C - I fix my mobile phone when it is broken, rather than buying a new one D - I choose to throw my plastic water bottle in the bin, rather than recycling E - I upgrade my mobile phone every time my deal ends, so I always have the latest model F - I choose to buy strawberries grown in the UK, rather than in Morocco G - I choose to buy three cheaper t-shirts rather than one more expensive one, which is made using fairly traded cotton H - I choose to put my old clothes in the bin, rather than taking them to a charity shop I - I always choose the cheapest chocolate at the supermarket, so I can buy more of it 36 37 NOTES:
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NOTES: FIND OUT MORE You can find out more about the Girmit Experience and this complex part of our shared history online at our website, girmit.worldWe would love to hear from you if you have further questions, comments or ideas. Get in touch at [email protected] YOU CAN FIND FURTHER READING BELOW The National Archives www.nationalarchives.gov.uk The National Archives Research guide www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/indian-indentured-labourers The National Archives Flickr account www.flickr.com/photos/nationalarchives The National Archives image library https://images.nationalarchives.gov.uk/assetbank-nationalarchives/action/viewHome Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew www.kew.org PlayLa.bZ https://playlabz.business.site National Library of Australia - Indian emigration passes www.nla.gov.au/research-guides/indian-emigration-passes-to-fiji-1879-1916 National Archives of Fiji www.archives.gov.fj The Fiji Museum http://fijimuseum.org.fj Global Girmit Association promo video https://youtu.be/SQ_QchI4UYY The Oral History Society www.ohs.org.uk Bad Fiji Gyals badfijigyals.com Records of Indian Indentured Labourers www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/memory-of-the-world/register/full-list-ofregistered-heritage/registered-heritage-page-7/records-of-the-indian-indentured-labourers UNESCO Memory of the World https://en.unesco.org/programme/mow The bio-sonic sound waves of sugarcane, recorded at Kew Gardens, were woven into a Girmit theme tune & 360 immersive soundscape to bring multi-dimensional audio experience to the project. https://soundcloud.com/girmit/nutkhut-playla-bz-kew-garden?utm_source=clipboard&utm_ medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing 40 41
LEARNING TOOLKIT Peepul tree, birth place of Lali Maharaj The Ems ship, re-imaged by Tilt brush Artist Lorna Inman, in The Girmit Experience James Edward Marks, in GenieMo sugar cane field, inside The Girmit Experience The Girmit Experience resources: Subpac, Nutkhut cardboards, sugar cane Ajay Chhabra, filming at Palm House, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew June 2020 Ajay Chhabra research trip to Lali Maharaj village in India, 2019 Global launch of The Girmit Experience, Mozilla Festival March 2021 Ajay Chhabra and James Edward Marks in GenieMo at Ravensbourne University March 2021 Lorna Inman, Tiltbrush artist at Ravensbourne University June 2020 Nutkhut Carboard arrival Zoom Nutkhut team meeting, January 2021 Richard Deverell, Director, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew Nutkhut team photo, Palm House, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew Lali and Sita Maharaj with family in Suva, Fiji circa 1950 42 43 Sita Maharaj’s chakki, flour grinder, held in the Fiji Museum Students from George Dixon Academy - Birmingham, using the Nutkhut VR Cardboards during a Nutkhut workshop, August 2021