And she said she was there in the same spirit of "friendship, cooperation and the search for international and domestic peace."
She said although she has been in India for just a few days she has been able to "feel the warmth of its people and see its rich culture and diversity.
"And yet despite the vastness of your country, I note with admiration the sense of community and national pride of the people of India, a nation of over 1 billion strong.
"This sense of pride is also keenly felt among the members of the Indian Diaspora.
More and more countries are becoming aware of the power of the Diaspora to contribute not only to socio-economic development in their homeland but also to shape and sustain positive images of the country of origin thus contributing to its international stature...
"India offers an impressive example of excellent leadership in the management of Diaspora relations and has in a significant way provided a model for other countries to beneficially engage their Diaspora community."
Persad-Bissessar said the potential mutual benefits to be accrued from maintaining close ties with the Diaspora range from opportunities for technical cooperation on a national scale to exchanges between schools Organisations and institutions.
She spoke of the diversity in Trinidad & Tobago with its fusion of ethnicities and religions, blending the peoples from across the globe: Africa, India, Europe, the Middle East, China.
"And I am proud to say that we have come together in our diversity to create the colourful tapestry that is now Trinidadian and Tobagonian society.
"While the large Indo-Trinidadian community continues to uphold the cultural heritage of their East Indian forefathers who travelled to Trinidad as indentured labourers in 1845, this cultural legacy does not only remain entrenched in the way of life, ceremonies, dress, names, food and music of Indo-Trinidadians, but it is also entrenched in the broader Trinbagonian culture.
"Children of all races and religions light deyas in honour of Divali, just as Trinbagonians regardless of ethnicity dance to the beat of a tassa drum and the rhythm of Trinidad’s own hybrid chutney soca beat.
"This is the true beauty of a Diaspora: the ability to maintain the culture of the land of origin and seamlessly incorporate it into the fabric of a new home, thereby enriching the culture of the receiving country.
"Trinidad and Tobago stands as a true testament to this, where the cultural legacies of Africans, Chinese, Indians, Europeans and many more do not merely co-exist, but they come together to create a culture that is vibrant and dynamic."
She spoke about the historical significance of Gandhi to East Indians in the Caribbean who tried without success to get him to visit the region.
However, she said Gandhi readily agreed in 1945 to contribute a message to the Indian Centenary Review publication in which he advised the Diaspora to prove themselves "worthy of the motherland."
She said that message has reinforced her view that there is only one Mother for her and Indians born in Trinidad & Tobago - mother Trinidad and Tobago.
"There is no mother India, Africa, China, Europe. But there is Grandmother India, grandmother Africa, grandmother China, grandmother Europe.
"We all know the Great love that we hold for our Grandmothers. As a grandmother of Shiva Kristiano Bissessar and Kavita Sofie Bissessar I am experiencing the wonder and love of my grandchildren as I acknowledge their love. A very special kind of love."
She acknowledged the meaning of the Pravasi and the significance of holding it in India. However she urged India to consider holding of a Pravasi in the Caribbean and "for which I pledge the support of my country."
She said, "In so doing we shall share new understandings, and develop appreciation for the Diaspora in their adopted homelands.
"Even as India benefits and develops from the annual Pravasi in India, other countries especially small island nations will also benefit by way of a Pravasi in their countries.
"I speak here of the Trinidad Diaspora which resides in every country of the world, and can be found in the UK, Canada, and the USA.
"It will become a type of pilgrimage that combines tourism, education and business development."
She said, "In so doing we shall share new understandings, and develop appreciation for the Diaspora in their adopted homelands.
"Even as India benefits and develops from the annual Pravasi in India, other countries especially small island nations will also benefit by way of a Pravasi in their countries.
"I speak here of the Trinidad Diaspora which resides in every country of the world, and can be found in the UK, Canada, and the USA.
"It will become a type of pilgrimage that combines tourism, education and business development."
In closing her address, Persad-Bissessar said Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has paid her and Trinidad and Tobago a great honour "by having me as your Chief Guest."
She added, "I am deeply inspired by what is happening here today, inspired by the unity of purpose of this gathering which speaks of a desire to contribute through the application of one’s skills and resources for the benefit of humanity.
"I see in this Pravasi the spirit of yagna, selfless sacrifice for the community’s well being and I applaud and draw inspiration from such commitment."
She chose the words of the renowned Indian Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore to end her speech to the gathering:
“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water”.
She said, "In order to effectively reach out to one another, to the members of our Diasporic communities, to nations, to our neighbours, we must be proactive.
"We must not restrict ourselves to mere words, to ‘standing and staring at the water’, but instead we must take the initiative to reach out across the sea to one another to create a stronger, more tight-knit and supportive international community...
"May we pledge to work for the mutual benefit of the people of our own countries and the world."
She added, "I am deeply inspired by what is happening here today, inspired by the unity of purpose of this gathering which speaks of a desire to contribute through the application of one’s skills and resources for the benefit of humanity.
"I see in this Pravasi the spirit of yagna, selfless sacrifice for the community’s well being and I applaud and draw inspiration from such commitment."
She chose the words of the renowned Indian Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore to end her speech to the gathering:
“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water”.
She said, "In order to effectively reach out to one another, to the members of our Diasporic communities, to nations, to our neighbours, we must be proactive.
"We must not restrict ourselves to mere words, to ‘standing and staring at the water’, but instead we must take the initiative to reach out across the sea to one another to create a stronger, more tight-knit and supportive international community...
"May we pledge to work for the mutual benefit of the people of our own countries and the world."
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