PM's meeting with nationals in London sparks fresh interest in T&T

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s meeting with Trinidadians and Tobagonians in London has created a fresh surge of interest in the country.

A number of postings on Facebook and emails among the residents indicate a willingness among them to assist in T&T’s development, as Persad-Bissessar had urged. The response is similar to that which followed the Prime Minister’s recent meeting with T&T nationals in Brooklyn, New York.

Attorney Leela Ramdeen, Chair of the Catholic Commission for Social Justice in T&T and who is in London at present, wrote in an e-mail: “Great meeting with our PM... The atmosphere was electric.

"People have waited a long time for leadership that is committed to integrity, participatory governance etc.

“This morning my ‘inbox’ was filled with emails from some friends here who want to assist in TT to build our nation.

“There is much to do and I will share with them ways in which they can volunteer/assist.” Ramdeen added: “People are fired up and we can build on this.”

There were several other messages of a similar theme.

One woman who has been living in a London suburb for more than 20 years said she is experiencing “a fresh love for the country of my birth; I love the Prime Minister’s spirit and I want to help sweet T&T.”

Hundreds of people crowded the Chelsea Old Town Hall Tuesday to hear an address from Ms. Persad-Bissessar that was both an update of her administration’s performance and a rallying call for assistance in T&T’s development.

Among other things, the Prime Minister exhorted the exiled nationals to buy T&T-made goods and services.

She also said: “When you choose to come back for Carnival or Christmas, Eid or Divali, when you make Trinidad and Tobago your preferred holiday destination, you not only contribute to our economic development, but you also endorse and advertise our brand in a tangible way.”

There were similar patriotic outpourings after Ms Persad-Bissessar visited two community venues in Brooklyn during her recent visit to New York to address the United Nations General Assembly. She was mobbed at both New York and London.

-Ken Ali reporting