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Modi announces OCI cards for 6th generation of diaspora in Trinidad & Tobago
Indian-origin people make up more than 40% of the population of 1.36 million in Trinidad and Tobago, the second destination in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s five-nation tour
Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards will be given to the sixth generation of the Indian diaspora in Trinidad and Tobago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday as he began a visit to the Caribbean nation where more than 40% of the population is of Indian origin.
Modi, the first Indian premier to visit the island nation since 2009, pitched for greater economic, security, and technology cooperation between India and Trinidad and Tobago while addressing a gathering of the Indian community along with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the first woman premier of the country.
Trinidad and Tobago is the second destination in Modi’s five-nation tour. The diaspora there, descended from immigrants who began arriving in 1845 as indentured labour, maintains strong ties with India. It is the largest concentration of Indian-origin people in the Caribbean.
Modi highlighted the long-standing links between the Indian community and their country of origin and lauded their achievements in Trinidad and Tobago. “Today, I am happy to announce that OCI cards will now be given to the sixth generation of the Indian diaspora in Trinidad and Tobago.
“You are not just connected by blood or surname. You are connected by belonging. India looks out to you, India welcomes you, and India embraces you,” he said, speaking in a mix of English and Hindi.
The descendants of the “girmitiyas” or indentured workers are no longer defined by their struggle but by their success, Modi said, pointing to the achievements of Persad-Bissessar, President Christine Carla Kangaloo, musician Sundar Popo, and cricketer Daren Ganga.
The Indian diaspora now includes 35 million people spread across the world, and each member is an ambassador of India’s values, culture and heritage, Modi said. India is creating a comprehensive database of the Girmitiya community, documenting the villages and cities from which their ancestors migrated and identifying the places where they settled. “This will support the deep and historic ties with our brothers and sisters in Trinidad and Tobago as well,” he said.
Persad-Bissessar, in her address, referred to the enduring ties between the two countries and thanked India for providing Trinidad and Tobago with vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic. She announced that the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country’s highest honour, will be presented to Modi on Saturday.
Modi, who was received on his arrival by Persad-Bissessar and almost the entire cabinet, also said India will soon be among the world’s top three economies, and its missions for artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and quantum computing are becoming new engines of growth.
He called for closer trade, security, and technology cooperation between the two countries. “Our Mission Manufacturing is working to make India a manufacturing hub. We have become the world’s second-largest mobile manufacturer,” he said. “Our defence exports have increased 20-fold in just the last decade. We are not just making in India, we are making for the world. As we grow, we are ensuring that it is of mutual benefit to the world.”
Modi also showcased India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), saying it has revolutionised digital payments. “Nearly 50% of the world’s real-time digital transactions take place in India. I congratulate Trinidad and Tobago for being the first country in the region to adopt UPI,” he said.
“Now sending money will be as easy as sending a ‘good morning’ text message! And I promise, it will be faster than West Indies bowling.”
