Kamla to Honour ‘Jahaji Legacy’ Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced yesterday that Nelson Island will be renamed to honor the “jahaji legacy” and the thousands of Indian indentured laborers who arrived there from India, including her maternal great-grandmother, Sumaria Seepersad. The decision was made during a visit to the island with India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Persad-Bissessar described the site as deeply symbolic for descendants of indentured laborers who were brought to Trinidad before being sent to work on sugarcane plantations. The renaming process will be overseen by a committee led by Natasha Barrow, the permanent secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, alongside the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago. A public website will also be launched to gather suggestions for the new name. Persad-Bissessar and Jaishankar traveled by water taxi from Port of Spain shortly after 9 a.m. and unveiled a commemorative plaque on the island. The visit marked the first of three engagements for the day, which also included the launch of the Brechin Castle agro-processing facility and a National Prosthetics Centre in Penal. Persad-Bissessar emphasized that the island’s future identity should reflect the people who gave it its deepest meaning, noting that its significance lies not in colonial ownership but in the “jahaji” experience. She highlighted that between 1845 and 1917, over 143,000 Indians crossed the “Kala Pani”—or dark waters—to Trinidad under indentureship, with Nelson Island serving as the first point of arrival for many after their long sea voyage.#prime_minister_kamla_persad_bissessar #sumaria_seepersad #nashtha_barrow #national_trust_trinidad_tobago #dr_subrahmanyam_jaishankar
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
