By Sue-Ann Wayow
AS India celebrates 75 years of Independence, many citizens of Trinidad and Tobago celebrate with her.
This is according to former High Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago to India and now Managing Director of ieTV Trinidad Pandit Maniedeo Persad.
In a statement on Tuesday, Persad said, “Many Trinidadians of Indian origin hold India in high esteem and feel a sense of belonging and deep kinship even in cases where there are no traceable family connections.”
He also said the donation of vaccines earlier by the Indian Government was a gesture of friendship that the country appreciated.
Giving part of his personal story, Persad said, “The system of immigration to the Caribbean has been written on extensively and there are many examples of Trinidadians tracing their villages of origin and also connecting with their Indian families in India. In my own case it was quite an emotional moment.
“My grandfather Pandit Patesri Tewarie left Prattapur in present day Siddharth Nagar UP close to the end of indentureship in 1906.
“My father Shankaracharya Pandit Hari Prasad and I were born in Trinidad. As fate would have it my son Kavish was born in New Delhi in 2006, while my family lived there during my tenure as T&T High Commissioner, 100 hundred years after Pandit Patesrie Tewarie left his home in India.”
He said former prime ministers Basdeo Panday, Kamla Persad-Bissessar and many others have connected with their Indian families but the majority of people of Indian origin today have not been able or have not tried to connect with their Indian family.
However, Indian culture and traditions remain ingrained.
“While Trinidadian, fully patriotic to our country, we have a deep abiding love, respect and yearning for the traditions and values that have been transmitted through generations that connect us with India,” Persad said.
While colonialisation has destroyed many facets, it also was the catalyst for the spread in Indian culture and values, he added.
And Persad said, “On behalf of all of us in Trinidad we look forward to continued growth and development in the relations between both our countries.”
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