Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Trinidad and Tobago's link to Bihar during his address to the Indian community here, emphasising that the "heritage of Bihar" is the "pride" of India and the world. "The ancestors of many people present here came from Bihar. The heritage of Bihar is the pride of not only India but the world as well," Modi said while speaking at an event at the National Cycling Velodrome, Couva, on Thursday.
He pointed out that the ancestors of his Trinidad & Tobago counterpart, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar were from the eastern Indian state.
Modi said that PM Kamala has even visited the state, and people in India consider her the "daughter of Bihar".
PM Modi's X post regarding the cultural connection between the two countries was also in Bhojpuri, a prominent language in Bihar, also spoken by the Indian community in the Caribbean nation.
"Be it democracy, politics, diplomacy, higher education...Bihar had shown a new direction to the world in many such subjects centuries ago," he added.
He said that new inspirations and new opportunities "will emerge from the land of Bihar for the 21st-century world." Modi announced that India is actively working on creating a comprehensive database of the Girmitiya community.
It will support the deep and historic ties with "our brothers and sisters in Trinidad and Tobago as well," he added.
The community, mainly comprising people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, was sent from British India to work on plantations in South Africa, Fiji, Mauritius, and the Caribbean islands.
PM Modi's Bihar push is seen as significant considering the upcoming elections in Bihar, people familiar with Bihar politics said. Bihar is going to the polls later this year, and the BJP is part of the ruling National Democratic Alliance in the state.