Govt Moves to Rename Nelson Island with Public Input Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced plans to rename Nelson Island, establishing a committee to oversee the process. The initiative, revealed during a visit to the island alongside India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr. Subrahmanya Jaisankar, emphasizes public participation in selecting a new name that reflects Trinidad and Tobago’s national history and identity. The committee, led by Permanent Secretary Natasha Barrow, will collaborate with the National Trust of T&T to ensure the renaming aligns with the country’s cultural heritage. The visit included the unveiling of a commemorative plaque honoring the enduring legacy of indentured laborers, many of whom were brought to Trinidad via Nelson Island. From 1866 to 1917, the island served as a landing, immigration, and quarantine station for Indian indentured workers. The first ship to anchor there, the Humber, arrived in 1866 with 473 immigrants, including 329 men, 84 women, 32 boys, and 14 girls. Persad-Bissessar highlighted the challenges faced by these laborers, noting their journey with religious texts like the Ramayana, Gita, and Koran, and their struggle to adapt to a foreign land. The Prime Minister described the indentured labor system as a form of human trafficking, drawing parallels to the transatlantic slave trade. “They could not even speak English. They did not understand the constructs they had entered into,” she said, urging honesty about the system’s injustices. The renaming process will invite public submissions, aiming to honor both the laborers’ sacrifices and the nation’s collective identity. Nelson Island, part of the Five Islands off Trinidad’s coast near Port-of-Spain, holds significant historical value.#trinidad_and_tobago #prime_minister_kamla_persad_bissessar #national_trust_of_t_t #permanent_secretary_natasha_barrow #nelson_island
