Bihar’s deep connection with the people who migrated and have now settled as citizens in Trinidad and Tobago featured prominently in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the Indian community there. Notably, this comes ahead of Bihar’s legislative assembly elections later this year. Hailing the Bihar linkage of the Indian-origin population in Trinidad and Tobago as a “heritage of Bihar”, PM Modi remarked that the “heritage of Bihar” is the “pride of not only India but the world as well.”The majority of the Indian-origin population in Trinidad and Tobago traces its ancestry to Bihar’s Bhojpuri-speaking regions. Emphasising this cultural connection, PM Modi also highlighted in a social media post that the bond between the two countries is reflected in the shared use of Bhojpuri. “Be it democracy, politics, diplomacy, higher education… Bihar had shown a new direction to the world in many such subjects’ centuries ago,” he noted.In a move seen by many as a subtle message of his deep respect and regard for Bihar’s heritage-especially significant ahead of the upcoming polls-PM Modi struck an emotional chord with the Diaspora during an event held at the National Cycling Velodrome in Couva on Thursday. He said, “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 also referred to the ancestral roots of his Trinidad & Tobago counterpart, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, noting that her ancestors hailed from Bihar’s Buxar.Describing the cultural significance of being served food on traditional leaves, a gesture he experienced during a dinner hosted in his honour, PM Modi remarked that food served on a “Sohari” leaf holds great cultural importance for people in Trinidad & Tobago, especially those of Indian descent. Tapping into the cultural psyche, Modi added that the people of India regard Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar as a daughter of Bihar.
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