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Introduction
Migration of people across the globe is an inseparable part of human history. India too has been witnessing massive movement of its people to other parts of the world since ancient times. Today more than 20 million people of Indian origin (PIOs) can be found settled in around 70 countries all over the world. Indian overseas migration can be broadly divided into three phases: (1) Indian migration during ancient times: our historical sources are replete with the accounts of Buddhist bikshus and traders who traveled extensively throughout Asia and Africa (2) Indian migration during colonial period: A systematic method of migration, which incorporated the indentured, Kangani and free or independent labour migration, was evolved during the British peroid through which Indians in great numbers migrated to different colonies, and (3) Indian migration during post-colonial period: Indians migrated to industrially developed countries for better employment opportunities during this period (Jayaram 2004).
The Indian migration to Fiji falls into the second phase of migration that occurred during the colonial period. The Indians went to this pacific island country as indentured labourers to work in sugar plantations. Some of them also went after 1920 as free migrants such as traders, teachers, doctors, etc., but they were comparatively few in number. The decision of an individual or a group of people to migrate to other places is influenced by various factors. These may be broadly characterized as the 'Push factors' and the 'Pull factors', which may operate in individuality or in combination (Jayaram 2004: 24) such as in the case of Post Colonial migrations the 'Pull Factor' which might have operated in the form of better employment opportunities must have led people to migrate. But in case of migrations to Fiji the 'Push Factor', such as the decline of handicrafts, failure of crops, debts, and pressure from Zamindars and Sahukars or absence of work must have been greater than any 'Pull' from Fiji (Saha 1970 ; Gillion 1962).
Situated in the south pacific, Fiji lies on the 180-degree meridian. It comprises of about three hundred islands. The two major islands in the group are known as Viti Levi and Vanua Levu. At the time of arrival of the first European adventurers in the late eighteenth century the Fijians...