Pravasi Bharatiya Divas In Bhubaneswar: Trinidad & Tobago President Cites India’s Long History With Her Country

Bhubaneswar: President of Trinidad and Tobago Christine Carla Kangaloo on Thursday cited India’s contribution to the world of knowledge and recounted the history of its association with her country.

Speaking at the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bhubaneswar in virtual mode as chief guest, President Kangaloo said the Indian diaspora has made significant contributions towards cultural, social and economic development across the world.

The Pravasi Bharatiya conventions over the last two decades have served not only as a platform for collaborations between India and its diaspora but also exemplified the spirit of resilience and determination of Indian descent the world over, she said.

Stating that India’s contributions to the world’s development are remarkable, she said the world’s first university was established in Takshashila in 700 BC. While Ayurveda is believed as the earliest school of medicine, the navigation was stated to have been started from near the Sindhu river in India around 6,000 years ago.

While algebra, trigonometry and calculus were first developed in India, use of zero is attributed to this country, she added.

President Kangaloo said India’s relation with Trinidad and Tobago goes long back in 1845 when the first ship carrying 225 Indian indentured workers reached her country which was a British colony then. Since then, more than 143,000 Indians have come and settled in Trinidad and Tobago. Now the descendants of those indentured workers form around 42% cent of the total population of her country, she added.