Transformational force who has refined governance of India: Trinidad and Tobago PM praises PM Modi's leadership

Port of Spain [Trinidad and Tobago], July 4 : Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, calling him a "transformational force who has refined governance of India." She stated that PM Modi has modernised India's economy through his visionary and futuristic initiatives.

While addressing Indian community event in Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday (local time), Bissessar hailed the relationship between two nations, calling them "ties of ancestry, kinship, sacrifice and love."

She said, "Namaste, Sita-Ram and good evening. This evening we are graced by the presence of someone near and dear to us. We are graced by a leader whose visit is not just a matter of protocol, but a profound honour for us and so I am deeply privileged to join everyone here to welcome one of the world's most respected, most admired visionary leaders, the honourable Shri Narendra Modiji, Prime Minister of the Republic of India and his delegation on this very historic state visit to Trinidad and Tobago. Prime Minister Modi, your presence is a great inspiration to all of us, particularly to the Indo-Trinidadian community, whose roots are planted and the same blessed Indian soil from which you emerged."

"This special community diaspora event is part of a packed schedule of official engagements, including an address to a joint assembly of our parliament and that will take place tomorrow, as well as the signing of several memoranda of understanding between our two nations. So, tonight we honour revered cultural and familial bonds between our people. These bonds that transcend time and distance, uniting us in a shared history and a shared future. Prime Minister Modi, you are a transformational force who has refined governance of India and positioned your country as a prominent and dominant global power. Through your visionary and futuristic initiatives, you have modernised the Indian economy. You have empowered over a billion citizens, and above all, you have instilled pride in the hearts of all Indians all over the world and yet it's not only your governance, sir, but it is your reverence for heritage that has brought us together tonight," she added.

She recalled PM Modi's earlier visit to Trinidad and Tobago in 2002, when he was not PM of India. She stated that PM Modi returned to Trinidad and Tobago as a "distinguished and celebrated leader" whose influence transcends borders. She also mentioned about Fatel Razack, which was the first ship that carried Indians to Trinidad in 1845.

She said, "On your first visit to our country, you were not then prime minister. But as part of a cultural ambassador, as part of the World Hindu conference in 2002. Today, sir. You return as the head of a government of more than 1.4 billion people. You return as a distinguished and celebrated leader whose influence transcends boundaries. We bow to you, sir. What inspires this gathering most is your enduring commitment to the Indian diaspora, promoting culture, history, and the spirit of our shared journey. The ties that bind India and Trinidad and Tobago are not merely diplomatic in nature. These are ties of ancestry, of kinship, of sacrifice, and of love. We are bound by history, by shared struggle, and we're bound by common dreams."

"The journey that began 180 years ago in 1845 with the arrival of Fatal Razak at Nelson Island has evolved into a story of resilience, transformation, and success. Those early Indian migrants left behind everything except their language, their faith, and their culture. They crossed the Kalapani, the dark waters once believed to sever the soul from the sacred, but today we have reimagined that journey. We have moved from Kalapani to Panaanhan waters of unity. Water not as a divider, but as a bond that unites our people and in this spirit, we embrace ocean of unity and enduring oceanic connection between India and Trinidad and Tobago. We here are the grandchildren of Mother India, separated by oceans, but always remain united by enduring love and respect," she added.

Quoting a poem written by PM Modi in his book 'Aankh aa dhanya che', Trinidad and Tobago PM said, "This union is best... in a poem, sir, that you once wrote Shri Modiji. And I will share some of the words from your poem. In the recesses of my mind. I travel far into the past, and each face I see unfolds a memory. My recall comes with ease. Each visage easily recognised. Nothing stays hidden, for this is the truth plain to see that our companions, with whom we suffered, never forgotten, together endured those sufferings. They become the journey in the end. Yes, Shri Modi, our people have suffered, but they have endured and their endurance became the foundation of our nations. Somewhere In the distant echoes of time, somewhere in the annals of history, our ancestors are rejoicing at your visit, whispering through the winds of memory, their spirits stirred by the sacred reunion of their scattered children. This blessed moment affirms what we already know the ties that bind our two nations are truly unbreakable."

She stated that India, under PM Modi's leadership, provided vaccines to small nations like Trinidad and Tobago during the COVID-19 pandemic and termed it an "act of shared humanity and love." She announced that Trinidad and Tobago's highest honour "the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago" will be conferred to PM Modi on Friday.

She said, "Under your leadership, India has extended its hand to the world, but never more so, through your compassion, through your benevolence with the vaccines initiative 4 years ago when the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to its knees, while some other countries were hoarding medical supplies, you, sir, you ensured that vaccines and supplies reached even the smallest nations, including Trinidad and Tobago. Through your benevolence, you brought hope and calm where there was fear. I say again, this is more than diplomacy, this was an act of kinship. This was an act of shared humanity."

"This was an act of love and this is one of the many reasons we are deeply proud to bestow upon you, Excellency, the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Our nation's highest honour tomorrow will be conferred. We are all threads in the same human fabric, bound not by circumstance, but by compassion, resilience, and the timeless truths of our shared heritage. So honourable Prime Minister, Let us continue this journey together as partners, as brother and sister, and as proud children of the most enduring heritage in history. This ocean Of unity. This is our legacy. This is all love," she added.

During his address to the Indian community in Trinidad and Tobago, PM Modi underlined Bihar's historic and cultural importance, praised the courage of the Indian diaspora, and called Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar "daughter of Bihar", as he recalled her ancestral ties to the state and requested her to offer water from the Sarayu and the Mahakumbh to the Ganga Dhara in the Caribbean nation.

"Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's ancestors lived in Buxar, Bihar. Kamala ji herself has visited there. People consider her a daughter of Bihar," PM Modi said.

"You all know that earlier this year, the world's largest spiritual gathering, the Mahakumbh, took place. I have the honour to carry water from the Mahakumbh with me. I request Kamala ji to offer the holy waters of the Sarayu river and Mahakumbh to the Ganga dhara here," he added.

PM Modi began his first official visit to Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday (local time) with a ceremonial Guard of Honour at Piarco International Airport, where he was received by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar along with 38 ministers and four Members of Parliament of the Caribbean nation.

This is PM Modi's first visit to the country as Prime Minister and the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the Caribbean nation since 1999. The visit comes at the invitation of Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

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