Fiji’s Subaltern Women’s Cry: Social and Psychological Repercussions of Migration

All the bittersweet experiences of the indentured labourers have been very carefully penned by proclaimed Fijian postcolonial writers. Till date, Indians in Fiji are living with the burden of their past and are constantly reminded about these twitching memoirs at various instances. The chapter deliberates on works by reflective on Fijian writers like, Brij V. Lal, Subramani, Vijay Mishra, and Ken Gillion to name a few who have kept an account of the details of historical labour migration of the Indians, particularly of Indian women. This chapter, therefore, takes a critical look into history, patriarchy, and the social and psychological costs of subaltern indentured women to make aware of the many facets of women migrants. The aim is to want the menfolk to review their undesirable beliefs concerning women and similarly realize their roles in the welfare of their people, their clans, and the rearing of the infants. In this presentation, I shall refer to three resilient and courageous women from Fiji’s girmit indenture history experience: Kunti, Sukhrania, and Narayani and listen to their laments.