Indo-Fijians (or Fiji Indians) are mainly descendants of laborers brought to the Fiji Islands by the British colonial government from 1879 to 1916 to work on sugar cane and other plantations. In the early twentieth century, other Indians came to Fiji as free agents working in the public service and as highly skilled workers and professionals.
By 1966, Indo-Fijians comprised 51 percent of Fiji's total population, while the indigenous Fijian population fell to 42 percent. The indigenous had lost large numbers largely through exposure to foreign diseases such as measles. The colonial government feared that the Indians would take over the country and thus, through legislation and various institutions, tried to ensure that the indigenous Fijians would never lose their land.
Since Indo-Fijians have come from different parts of India, they have developed their own language known as 'Fiji Hindi', which is apparently formed mainly from the Indian dialects of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
At some time or other, Indo-Fijians have been made to feel like they do not belong in Fiji, and there is a continuous striving to belong. Some Indigenous do not want the word "Fijian" applied to Indians. The experience of political instability and government policies against them have made them feel unwanted, which fuels emigration to New Zealand and Australia.
India remains a significant cultural influence for Indo-Fijians, shaping their ritual practices, culinary traditions, dress, and entertainment. The sub-continent's impact provides cultural distinction between Indians and non-Indians. But despite the sub-continent's influence, most Indo-Fijians today have not been to India. Over a century of living together with indigenous Fijians has shaped the Indo-Fijian identity and lifestyle. One key impact is that Indo-Fijians have largely done away with the caste system.
Indo-Fijian meals also include starch and relishes. The staple tends to be either flatbread made from flour and/or rice. Relishes are primarily vegetarian, but they eat some meat and fish. Many Indo-Fijians obey religious prohibitions against beef (Hindus) or pork (Muslims).
Indo-Fijians traditionally have permitted their children much less freedom but have now begun to adopt Western ideas about child raising. In traditional homes, the relationship between father and son is formal and reserved, but fathers are more affectionate toward their daughters, who leave the family after marriage. Mothers are indulgent toward their sons and strict with their daughters, whom they prepare for the role of a daughter-in-law.
Domestic norms are determined by gender and age. Sons are expected to treat their fathers with respect, and younger brothers defer to older brothers. Females can be socially segregated, but urban living has eroded this.
In terms of sports, there is a general interest in soccer, and, while few play the game, rugby is also popular.
Three-fourths of Indo-Fijians are Hindus, though they also have a vibrant Christian church. Indo-Fijian Hindus follow a variety of religious customs and are divided between the reformed (Arya Samaj) and the orthodox (Sanatan).
Indo-Fijians as a group have a higher than normal prevalence rate of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. They have a high-fat diet and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle.
Due to political instability since 1987, there is a high rate of emigration of Indo-Fijians, which has adversely affected the sugar industry, the economy, and caused skills shortages. Political differences between the native Fijians and the Indo-Fijians drive the emigration.
While the majority Indo-Fijian Hindus do not have anything against Christianity, sometimes viewing it as another path to God, they do associate Christianity with the Indigenous Fijians, who they feel do not want them in the country. Christianity has been used as a rallying force by politicians and coup perpetrators to galvanize the Indigenous behind them. This makes it very difficult for Indo-Fijians to leave their religions for Jesus Christ.
Pray that Satan's veil of deception is removed and they realize Jesus as their only Savior and source of every security that the Indo-Fijian longs for.
Pray for Christian Fijian-Hindi community members to share the hope of salvation in Christ with their Hindu friends and neighbors.
Pray for the Lord to help Fijian-Hindi community members to fulfill their destiny in Christ.
Scripture Prayers for the Fijian Hindi in New Zealand.
Anonymous
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
