BY NORM DIXON
An Indian Fijian rights group in Suva is seeking compensation from the Indian, Australian and British governments, reported the Times of India on April 3. The Peoples' Organisation for Indo-Fijian Rights and Land Resolution said these governments colluded to bring Indian labourers to Fiji in the 19th century. It intends to petition the International Court of Justice for compensation.
POIFRLR president Niraj Yadav said Australia and Britain had brought Indians to Fiji and benefited from the immigrants who provided virtually free labour on plantations. Australia, Britain and India are legally and morally responsible for safeguarding the future rights of the descendants of the indentured labourers who are now landless and politically powerless because of three racially motivated coups since 1987, he said.
More than 60,000 Indians were brought by the British to work in the sugarcane plantations on five-year indenture terms, with the option of remaining in Fiji at the end of their terms. Yadav told the Times of India that often the labourers were tricked into coming to Fiji. Once they arrived, they were bonded for five years and toiled under slave-like conditions. Australian sugar giant CSR made enormous profits from the labour of Indian workers.
The Indian and British high commissions accepted a petition from POIFRLR seeking information that would help its claim for compensation, but the Australian High Commission would not accept it in person, and insisted that it be mailed.