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Trinidad & Tobago PM welcomed to ancestral village in Bihar
The visiting Prime Minister of African country Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad Bissessar on Wednesday was given warm welcome to her ancestral village at Bhelupur in Buxar district of Bihar. The T&T Prime Minister also got emotional once she touched the land of her ancestors and promised to return again.
Addressing a public meeting at the village she appealed to the parents of the girl child to educate them for their growth and development. “Without education there will be no development and I’m ready to extend all kind of help for the education of girl child of the village”, said Kamla Persad Bissessar.
She also declared that whatever she was in her life was because of the blessings of her ancestors of the village.
Ram Lakhan Mishra, the great-grandfather of the T&T Prime Minister had migrated from the Bhelupur village under Itarhi block to the African country in 1889.
“I’ld would like to thank the Prime Minister and the President of India for giving her an opportunity to visit the village of her ancestors”, said the T&T Prime Minister.
The first woman Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago had come to India to participate in Pravasi Bhartiya Divas with a 25-members delegation.
Earlier, she landed at Patna air-port an hour behind her schedule and flew off to Bhelupur by an Indian Air force helicopter.
As soon as the T&T Prime Minister set her foot at the village of her forefathers she was welcomed by women folks in traditional style while beating drums and singling folk songs.
Earlier, some villagers had reportedly repaired a road by offering voluntary labour while others are cleaning up the village for the grand reception of the Prime Minister.
She was also presented sari, a silver crown and bangles by the villagers. The excited villagers addressed the T&T Prime Minister as “Prdahanmantri Beti” or “daughter PM”. The villagers also offered her local dishes of litti-chokha, chura and tilwa
Later, an emotional Kamla Persad Bissessar with her eyes getting wet and voice choked told the jubilant villagers that she was lucky to visit the land of her roots and the village of her ancestors.
She also met with her family members and reminded them of the close relations she shared with them for generations. She recalled that other descendents too were living in this village.
The Caribbean Prime Minister further planted five tress of neem, pakad, pipal, ashok and barh near Sipariya Kali temple where her ancestral home was once located.
In the British period a large number of people from Bihar, especially from Bhopal, Buxar and Saran had migrated to the African countries like Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad, Suriname, South Africa and other places in 19th century to serve as indentured laborers on sugarcane and rubber plantations.
The great grandfather of the T&T Prime Minister too was one of them. Four years ago Prime Minister of Mauritius Navinchandra Ramgoolam too had visited the neighboring district of Bhojpur to trace roots of his family.
Of late, many of the people from African countries had visited Bihar to trace their roots. The Bihar government too has often been inviting such visitors under its “trace your roots” promotional programme.
The visiting Prime Minister of African country Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad Bissessar on Wednesday was given warm welcome to her ancestral village at Bhelupur in Buxar district of Bihar. The T&T Prime Minister also got emotional once she touched the land of her ancestors and promised to return again.
Addressing a public meeting at the village she appealed to the parents of the girl child to educate them for their growth and development. “Without education there will be no development and I’m ready to extend all kind of help for the education of girl child of the village”, said Kamla Persad Bissessar.
She also declared that whatever she was in her life was because of the blessings of her ancestors of the village.
Ram Lakhan Mishra, the great-grandfather of the T&T Prime Minister had migrated from the Bhelupur village under Itarhi block to the African country in 1889.
“I’ld would like to thank the Prime Minister and the President of India for giving her an opportunity to visit the village of her ancestors”, said the T&T Prime Minister.
The first woman Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago had come to India to participate in Pravasi Bhartiya Divas with a 25-members delegation.
Earlier, she landed at Patna air-port an hour behind her schedule and flew off to Bhelupur by an Indian Air force helicopter.
As soon as the T&T Prime Minister set her foot at the village of her forefathers she was welcomed by women folks in traditional style while beating drums and singling folk songs.
Earlier, some villagers had reportedly repaired a road by offering voluntary labour while others are cleaning up the village for the grand reception of the Prime Minister.
She was also presented sari, a silver crown and bangles by the villagers. The excited villagers addressed the T&T Prime Minister as “Prdahanmantri Beti” or “daughter PM”. The villagers also offered her local dishes of litti-chokha, chura and tilwa
Later, an emotional Kamla Persad Bissessar with her eyes getting wet and voice choked told the jubilant villagers that she was lucky to visit the land of her roots and the village of her ancestors.
She also met with her family members and reminded them of the close relations she shared with them for generations. She recalled that other descendents too were living in this village.
The Caribbean Prime Minister further planted five tress of neem, pakad, pipal, ashok and barh near Sipariya Kali temple where her ancestral home was once located.
In the British period a large number of people from Bihar, especially from Bhopal, Buxar and Saran had migrated to the African countries like Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad, Suriname, South Africa and other places in 19th century to serve as indentured laborers on sugarcane and rubber plantations.
The great grandfather of the T&T Prime Minister too was one of them. Four years ago Prime Minister of Mauritius Navinchandra Ramgoolam too had visited the neighboring district of Bhojpur to trace roots of his family.
Of late, many of the people from African countries had visited Bihar to trace their roots. The Bihar government too has often been inviting such visitors under its “trace your roots” promotional programme.
