Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the 116th episode of his monthly radio program ‘Mann Ki Baat,’ highlighted the deep influence of the Indian diaspora in Guyana, describing the Caribbean nation as a “Mini India” where people of Indian origin have excelled in politics, business, education, and culture.
Reflecting on the historical connection, PM Modi said, “About 180 years ago, people from India were taken to Guyana to work as laborers in the fields and for other work. Today, people of Indian origin in Guyana are leading in every field of politics, business, education, and culture. The President of Guyana, Dr. Irfan Ali, is also of Indian origin and proud of his Indian heritage.”
PM Modi noted that millions of Indians across dozens of countries worldwide have unique stories of migration, some dating back 200-300 years, forming a lasting legacy.
Expanding on India’s outreach efforts, the Prime Minister shared details of a project in Oman aimed at preserving the history of Indian families who have lived there for centuries. With support from the Indian Embassy in Oman and the National Archives of India, a team is working to safeguard their historical records.
“You will also find an extraordinary project going on in Oman. Numerous Indian families, most of them from Kutch in Gujarat, have been living there for many centuries and built vital trade links. Thousands of documents, including diaries, account books, ledgers, letters, and telegrams, have been collected under this campaign. Some of these documents date back to 1838 and vividly capture their lives, joys, sorrows, and evolving relations with the people of Oman,” PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister also highlighted a cultural milestone in Slovakia, where ancient Indian texts, the Upanishads, have been translated into the Slovak language for the first time.
“I have come to know about another such effort in Slovakia related to preserving and promoting our culture. These translations reflect the global influence of Indian culture and are a matter of pride for all of us. There are crores of people around the world who have India in their hearts,” he said.
Notably, PM Modi recently concluded an official visit to Guyana from November 20 to 22, marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the nation in 56 years. During this historic trip, India and Guyana signed 10 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) spanning areas like culture, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and the deployment of UPI in Guyana.
Prime Minister Modi and Guyana President Irfan Ali also symbolically planted a sapling under the ‘Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam’ initiative. India extended credit facilities to Guyana for mutually agreed fields, including agriculture and information technology. Indian businesses have shown growing interest in sectors such as biofuels, energy, minerals, and pharmaceuticals, signaling promising avenues for bilateral collaboration.
During the visit, PM Modi was honored with the ‘Key to the city of Georgetown’ and received a rousing welcome from members of the Indian community in Guyana.
(Inputs from ANI)