Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has announced that the Government is moving to rename Nelson Island, the historic landing site for thousands of Indian indentured labourers.
Speaking during a visit to the island on Saturday morning with India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar, the Prime Minister said the move is intended to publicly honour the Jahaji legacy.
“It was here that the thousands first came to Trinidad, crossing, as I say, the Kalapani carrying faith, memory, hope, helping to build a modern T&T through their labour, sacrifice, culture, and resilience. Indeed, the Jahaji experience helped shape our national identity. So my government will begin consideration of the formal renaming of Nelson Island.”
She said the move is part of a wider effort to reclaim national spaces from colonial legacies.
“After independence, India reclaimed its identity from the legacy of British colonialism. Bombay became Mumbai, Madras became Chennai, and Calcutta became Kolkata. These were acts of historic reclamation, cultural dignity, and national self-determination by a free people. So, too, must Trinidad and Tobago ensure that our national spaces reflect the people whose suffering, sacrifice, and resilience truly shaped our nation.”
The Prime Minister said a committee under the National Trust would review proposals for the renaming, with an online platform expected to allow for broad public participation.
Meanwhile, India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, announced that India has signed a new agreement with T&T’s National Archives, aimed at helping descendants trace their ancestral connections.
“I’m glad that an MOU for cooperation between the National Archives of India and of Trinidad and Tobago was signed yesterday. I’m hopeful that this would help many of the people here in tracing their ancestral roots and reconnecting with their families in India.”
Dr. Jaishankar also confirmed that applications for Overseas Citizenship of India cards continue to be processed, even as demand continues to grow.
“I understand that a number of OCI applications received by the (Indian) High Commission are growing, and it will be our endeavour to facilitate others who may not necessarily have the access to the required paperwork.”
The visit of the External Affairs Minister is part of the continued momentum of India’s political engagements and boosts its longstanding and friendly relations with the diaspora. The minister has already visited Suriname, Jamaica, Guyana and now Trinidad and Tobago.