Fiji Girmit Death Register Summary

Document: Register of deaths of Indian immigrants, 1879-1927

The death register provides the number and names of deaths of Girmityas who arrived from India on the first voyage on Leonidas till the last ship Sutlej V. The deaths resulted for many reasons, with very few explained reasons for such deaths.These deaths resulted from cholera, dysentery, diarrhoea and smallpox. Other deaths involved mothers dying during pregnancy, during birth of children and post-natal death. Data is not available for 'still born baby deaths' which one can presume was quiet high during Indenture and Post Indenture.As per research findings of Girmityas on Rabi Island from 1879 to 1920, the mortality rate was very high for the number of Girmityas living on the island.
 
There is no data or literature available when the Girmityas lived on the island till 1942 when the island was purchased by Lever Brothers Plantation Island Ltd. It was during the period of Lever Brothers whilst Percy Lyons was the Manager, the Girmityas were ill-treated to the next level and according to sources, some Girmityas were shot dead. One can make their own conclusions, if the men were treated so terribly the women would have been treated much worse than the men. Even during Captain John Hill's era when he first recruited Girmityas, the targets set were too high and not achievable. The Girmityas rarely were paid one shilling per day. The life for many Girmityas would have been very difficult whilst working on plantations in Qila -Taveuni, inland Vunidawa, Dawasamu- Tailevu, Inland Wainimala and Baulevu area, Rewa Delta, Koronivia- Nausori, Colo and Bilalevu in Siqatoka.
 
According to some interviews with the elderly from Fiji and very little literature available, women died of tetanus upon delivery of baby or post natal. The norm was to cut the umbilical cord with a razor blade used for shaving. At times the razor was not clean or partially rusted. There were very few doctors or general practitioners working during this period in Fiji and transportation from plantations to health centre was often a long ride. The attitude of superintendents and farm managers was often very racist and did not show any sympathy to the Girmitya women.The long hours of work usually 12 to 14 hours per day and only one day off took a tool on many men on plantations. One can only imagine the harsh environment on Rabi Island, Qila in Taveuni and clearing forests to plant coconut palms. The heat and humidity would have been a marked difference from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Northern Madhya Pradesh.
 
Suicide was also a common factor for deaths amongst the Girmityas. The reasons are many and can be attributed to having no relatives or family members, loneliness, adapting to a new island environment, difficulty in meeting the targets or quotas for the day, withholding of payment for no objective reason. The proportion of men to women was very disproportionate and often led men not having partners or inability to marry. This often led to disillusionment and other factors combined led to suicides. Rabi Island, Qila in Taveuni, Dawasamu in Tailevu and the whole of Rewa Delta has some of the highest rainfall in Fiji. The Girmityas would have found it very difficult to adapt with high humidity. The often may have led to dehydration and fever. This a short summary of the Death Register of the Girmityas that were taken to Fiji. A more detailed summary will be posted after further analysis of the deaths of the Girmityas.