Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Friday for a two-day official visit. This marked the second leg of his foreign tour.
He received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora in Port of Spain. While addressing the crowd, he called his counterpart Kamla Persad-Bissessar “Bihar ki Beti,” highlighting her ancestral roots in India.
About 45 percent of Trinidad and Tobago’s population has Indian ancestry.
PM Modi Gets Grand Indian Welcome
Modi landed in Port of Spain to a colorful, traditional Indian-style welcome. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar personally received him at the airport. Ministers in Indian attire stood alongside her.
Bhojpuri Chautaal music filled the air during the Guard of Honour. Modi shared the moment on X, writing, “A cultural connect like no other! Very happy to have witnessed a Bhojpuri Chautaal performance in Port of Spain. The connect between Trinidad & Tobago and India, especially parts of eastern UP and Bihar is noteworthy.”
A cultural connect like no other!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 3, 2025
Very happy to have witnessed a Bhojpuri Chautaal performance in Port of Spain. The connect between Trinidad & Tobago and India, especially parts of eastern UP and Bihar is noteworthy. pic.twitter.com/O751WpAJc5
He brought symbolic gifts. These included a Ram Mandir replica and sacred water from the Sarayu River and Mahakumbh’s Sangam.
PM Modi Lauds the Diaspora
At a community event in Couva, Modi praised Indian-origin residents. He said, “Our bonds go well beyond geography and generations.” PM Modi called them “Rashtradoot” or ambassadors of Indian culture and values.
He encouraged the diaspora to visit their ancestral villages in India. “Walk the soil they walked on,” he said. “Bring your children and neighbours. India welcomes you with open arms, warm hearts, and Jalebi.”
Modi also made a major announcement. He said OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) cards will now extend to sixth-generation Indian-origin families. This move allows them to live and work in India without restrictions.
This was Modi’s first-ever visit to Trinidad and Tobago as Prime Minister. Notably, no Indian PM had made a bilateral visit there since 1999.
Who is Kamla Persad-Bissessar?
Kamla Persad-Bissessar serves as the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. She holds the distinction of being the first woman to lead the nation.
Her great-grandfather migrated from Bhelupur in Bihar during British rule. He arrived in the Caribbean as a bonded laborer, known as a Girmitiya.
In 2012, Kamla visited Bhelupur and received a warm welcome. Modi recalled this during his speech. “People proudly call her Bihar ki Beti,” he said.
Born in 1952, Kamla has served in education and politics. She studied law in England and started her career as a teacher. Later, she entered public life and became the country’s Attorney General, Education Minister, and Prime Minister in 2010.
Why So Many Indians Live in Trinidad and Tobago
India and Trinidad & Tobago share a 175-year-old connection. Between 1845 and 1917, the British transported around 1.43 lakh Indians to work on sugar plantations.
Most migrants came from today’s Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Around 85% were Hindus, and 14% were Muslims. They sailed from Kolkata and Chennai. These Girmitiyas faced harsh working conditions and social isolation. Even into the 1960s, many Indo-Trinidadians remained poor and uneducated.
In 1875, the Canadian Presbyterian Mission began social outreach. It set up schools and introduced Western-style education. Many Indian families also converted to Christianity. By the 20th century, Indians had gained a firm place in local society. Today, about 40–45% of the country’s 1.3 million people are of Indian origin.
Cultural Legacy Lives On
Indo-Trinidadians have preserved Indian culture over the decades. They still celebrate Diwali, Holi, Ram Navami, and Navratri with great enthusiasm. Nobel Laureate VS Naipaul, born in Trinidad, remains one of the most famous descendants of this migration. His family home inspired his novel A House for Mr. Biswas.
India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru shared close ties with Trinidad’s first PM Dr. Eric Williams. The two met in Oxford in 1935 and again in New Delhi in 1961.
Modi summed up the emotional connection beautifully. “They left Ganga and Yamuna behind, but carried the Ramayana in their hearts,” he said. “They left their soil, but not their soul.”