A new awakening has now been thrust on the people of Trinidad and Tobago following the majestic, historic and meaningful visit of India’s Prime Narendra Modi July 3-4, 2025. Prime Minister Modi has sounded as the new world leader, even though India is third behind USA and China. His visit spurred a new epoch in India and Trinidad and Tobago relations, and it took over from the visit of Indira Gandhi’s visit in October 1968, whom the Indian diaspora felt that she came to represent her father, the late Pundit Nehru. There were buntings, flags of both countries flying across the roadways, schools and government offices were closed for half day, crowd thronged the passage way, heavily-armed police everywhere, moko jumbies, and the like, Now, Prime Minister Modi has renewed this chapter with his visit, when he pronounced a list of goodies for the future enrichment of both countries. This gesture would further enhance his commitment as a true world leader. He signed 15 agreements with Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar in such areas as health, education, trade, ICT, culture and justice. Highlights of his kind donation include: US $1 million in agro-machinery funded over, 2,000 laptops to support Form One students, young women cricketers and pundits to train in India, UWI to host revived academic chairs in Hindi, Indian Studies and Ayurverda, T&T joins Global Biofuel Alliance and Disaster Resilient Infrastructure Coalition, Indian support pledged for forensic science centre and legal training, 20 dialysis machines, 2 sea ambulances and prosthetic limb camp for 800 people. Now TT has to make it work.
No one could doubt the Indian leader is charismatic, overflowing with philosophical thought and pragmatism and oratorical competence as evidenced in his addresses to the Diaspora assembly, President’s House to receive the national award, and at the joint sitting of Parliament as he was able to switch language. His messages were clear, precise and forthright as the strands of history have brought our two countries together. He was both non–partisan and universal Prime Minister Modi who has become the first world leader and the second non-national to receive this country’s highest national honor when was adorned with the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago which he received in recognition of his legendary kindness and generosity. “When the rhythms of the steel pan meet the beats of the tabla, our relationship becomes an exquisite symphony. The deep cultural connect between our peoples is one of greater strengths of our partnership, and declared that “for India, TT is not just an important partner in Caricom, but also a very vital global partner.”
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar in her address at the joint sitting of the Trinidad Parliament hailed Prime Minister Modi as one of the most respected, admired and visionary leaders who has repositioned India as a dominant global power. Seated on the Speaker’s chair which was donated by the Government of India as an Independence gift, the audience included Former Governor of the Central Bank, Winston Dookeran, former Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Nizam Mohammed, and former President of Trinidad and Tobago and former President, Anthony Carmona. In a statement marking Modi’s visit, Dookeran pointed out that during a visit to Guyana and Suriname last November, he had announced Seven Pillars of Co-operation with Caricom. Attorney at law and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Jagdeo Singh and Wade Mark, President of the Senate, were in attendance.
Special commendation must be accorded to the High Commissioner of India, Dr. Pradeep Singh Rajpurohit for his untiring work in making this visit a total visible success.
The visit must not be construed as a travelling jaunt because India is not about talking and doing nothing. There is enormous cultural strength upon which both sides could draw. Remembering that approximately 44 per cent of the Indian diaspora was elicited from the indentured system, and this strength is a fertile soil to engage in serious economic and cultural ties as the ties are worldly acknowledged in our food, festivals, music and religion. Modi called Kamla Persad-Bissessar and President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Christine Kangaloo as, “daughters of the diaspora”, what a fitting salute, as Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar sits on the political throne for the second time, and Ms. Kangaloo has become the first woman president India was one of the few first foreign governments to establish diplomatic relations with Trinidad and Tobago when our country achieved Independence. Both countries share seats in the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations as, among other multilateral institutions. It must be noted that Prime Minister Modi twice bypassed this country during regional visits, but it seems that the then Dr Keith Rowley Government offered cold shoulders to India. Now the Kamla Persad-Bissessar administration seems apt to begin a new trend as it understood to woo India as evidenced by India’s visit to TT in July 2025.
The works of Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, among several others have borne positive fruits to us, not only in the TT, but worldwide. And Trinidad and Tobago’s new leadership could ignite the Modi’s seven-point pillars of economic and cultural growth, with Kamla Persad- Bissessar leading the caucus. Are these seven pillars are safe in the Cabinet draws at Caricom in Guyana with no signs of actions. We must not forget, that the visits of two former Indian primes and well documented memoranda remain anyone’s guess here. But Persad-Bissessar is not joker as she is well poised to make this offer a resounding success.
On the victory of Kamla Persad-Bissessar in April 28, Modi telegraphed congratulation on her victory in the elections. “We cherished our historically close and familial ties with Trinidad and Tobago. We look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our partnership for shared partners prosperity and well-being of our people”. Besides, attending the several parleys in this part of the world which is aimed at strengthening South-South Leadership, is this a valid statement that India is seriously looking for leadership roles in both the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations itself. Prime Minister Modi has stretched out his hands and heart to the national citizenry here, and it is incumbent on all peoples, including the Opposition’s Faris Al-Rawi to join hands and make it work.
This same Al-Rawi is now coming to cling on that Prime Minister Modi visit has its genesis in the former PNM Government of which he was a senior partner for just about ten years, and there is no media or parliamentary statement heralding that India is one the world stage, and that is the way for our country to move forward. The people of Trinidad and Tobago owe a deep and heartfelt debt of gratitude to our Prime Minister for her initiative in inviting Modi, but also to reevaluate our new political dispensation. The seeds for prosperity, economic development, successful nation building now have the genesis towards a new pathway of politics and human progress, prosperity and a renewed values system.
Parasram (Paras) Ramoutar. HBM. JP. BA.APR.ABC
International Journalist/Consultant
61 Main Road, Caparo. Trinidad.
H:(868)672.8702/C;(868)374.5586
Email: paras_ramoutar@yahoo.com