Title: The social consequences of indenture system and aftermath in Fiji: an accountability study

Authors: Ram Karan; Umesh Sharma

Addresses: Fiji National University, Suva, Fiji ' School of Accounting, Finance and Economics, Waikato Management School, University of Waikato, PB3105, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand

Abstract: This study examines the social consequences of the calculative practices used to control the indentured labour and its aftermath in Fiji. Although the indenture system in Fiji was officially abolished in 1917 and the indentured labourers became 'free settlers', they and their descendants continued to toil on sugar cane farms in much the same way as under the initial indenture system, just as slavery continued in different forms after slavery was officially abolished in many parts of the world. To ensure that the descendants of indentured labourers remained unskilled and continued to work on the cane farms the colonial government had a policy of not educating the children of indentured labourers. However, the determination of the visionary descendants of indentured labourers to engage in self-help education rising from humble beginnings to provide primary, secondary and tertiary education became the most powerful liberator of all.

Keywords: indentured labour; slavery; governmentality; eviction; self-help education; coups; Fiji.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCA.2021.113895

International Journal of Critical Accounting, 2021 Vol.12 No.1, pp.17 - 29

Received: 06 Aug 2020
Accepted: 21 Oct 2020
Published online: 31 Mar 2021 *