The arrival and rise of Sikhs in Fiji – Report

By Siteri Sauvakacolo | The Fiji Times |

The arrival of Fijians of Indian descent into Fiji many decades ago are stories worth sharing. Most of these journeys are well-documented and scripted in the many books that have been published by their descendants who have contributed so much to the growth of Fiji.

One certain group which make up these special historical moments are the Sikhs, originally of Punjab, India.

Two weeks ago, the Sikhs celebrated the Baisakhi festival — a new year for all devotees of the Sikh community and a celebration of happiness.

The Sikh Association of Fiji magazine noted that in the auspicious occasion of Baisakhi – Sikh followers should take a moment to think of their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents who after leaving India in the 1930s continued to preach Sikhism in the Fiji Islands.

A publication well-documented among the history books of the Sikhs at the Lautoka Gurudwara entailed the arrival of Sikhs into Fiji towards the end of the Indentured Labour system with hopes of securing better life and prosperity.

One of those interesting historical documents was penned by Sardar Iqbal Singh Biln in the Sikh Association of Fiji magazine, a former vice president of the Tagitagi Gurudwara and grandson of the late Sardar Gulzara Singh Biln, one of the first Sikh settlers in Fiji.

The document noted that Sardar Gulzara Singh Biln arrived in Fiji in 1928 as a 16-year-old among many other prominent Sikhs who were very conscious about their culture and religion.

He was encouraged to travel to Fiji by his cousin, Sardar Tara Singh Biln who was the father of Bhai Mohan Singh Biln – the long serving Granthi at Tagitagi, Tavua and Lautoka Gurudwara (temple). Gulzara Singh left behind his parents and five brothers when he came to settle in Fiji.

After landing at Suva Point many months after leaving the Punjab shores, Sardar Gulzara Singh Biln and many other Sikhs settled in Malele, Tavua as cultivators.

Read the full story, ‘The arrival and rise of Sikhs in Fiji’, (The Fiji Times, 27 April 2021), here.

RELATED STORY:

Human rights activist Nalini Singh back to Fiji (Asia Samachar, 19 Jan 2017)