Trinidad PM hails Modi-Sharif meeting

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has hailed the meeting between newly-elected Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.

In a message congratulating Modi for becoming India's new prime minister, Persad-Bissessar noted that the "unity shown as Mr. Modi took the oath of office before thousands of guests, including his counterpart from rival Pakistan, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, is heart-warming".

She added that this is the first time since the two countries won independence from Britain in 1947 that, "a prime minister from one state has attended such a ceremony in the other".

Persad-Bissessar pointed to the strong diplomatic ties which Trinidad and Tobago enjoys with India and which were "brought alive" during her official visit to India in January 2012 where she was awarded the Pravasi Bharaitya Samman award.

She added: "The Republic of India has set an example to the world in holding the largest elections in history which is a demonstration of democracy and good governance at its best."

Persad-Bissessar expressed the hope that both India and Trinidad and Tobago would continue to share "friendly and mutually beneficial relations that exist between our two great nations" during Prime Minister Modi's tenure.

The Indian election was widely covered in the local media, and Trinidad and Tobago nationals and people of Indian origin here followed it right from the time of voting to Modi's inauguration as prime minister.

This event also rekindles the links between both the countries as this country observes the 169th anniversary of the arrival of the first set of Indians here May 30, 1845.

The "human cargo" of 230 Indians was the first batch followed by several others, totalling 148,000, most of whom came from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The India diaspora in Trinidad and Tobago comprises 44 percent of the Caribbean nation's total population of just over 1.3 million people.

(Paras Ramoutar can be contacted at paras_ramoutar@yahoo.com)