Modi Invites Trinidad, Tobago diaspora to India, announces OCI card expansion

This marks Modi’s archetypal bilateral sojourn to Trinidad and Tobago and the archetypal sojourn by an Indian PM to the state since 1999

Prime Minister Narendra Modi connected Friday urged the Indian diaspora successful Trinidad and Tobago to sojourn India, the onshore of their ancestors, and walk on the ungraded they once walked, saying that the radical backmost location volition invited them with unfastened arms and jalebi.

His remarks came during his code to the assemblage successful the land federation aft helium received a rousing welcome from his counterpart, Kamla Persad Bissessar, who was referred to arsenic the "daughter of Bihar" given her ancestral ties to India.

"I promote each of you to sojourn India much successful person, and not conscionable virtually via societal media. Visit the villages of your ancestors. Walk connected the ungraded they walked on. Bring your children and neighbours. Bring anyone who enjoys 'chai' and a bully story. We volition invited each of you with unfastened arms, lukewarm hearts, and jalebi," the PM said.

He besides invited Bissessar to visit the Mahakumbh.

"Kamla ji's ancestors hailed from Buxar successful Bihar, and she has adjacent visited the spot herself. People respect her arsenic a girl of Bihar," he said. "I had the honor of bringing h2o from the Mahakumbh with me. I petition Kamla ji to connection this beatified h2o from the Sarayu River and the Mahakumbh to the Ganga Dhara here," he added.

Bissessar had antecedently visited her ancestral village, Bhelupur successful the Itarhi artifact of Buxar district, in 2012.

During his address, PM Modi besides announced that individuals of Indian root successful Trinidad and Tobago, up to the sixth generation, volition present beryllium eligible for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards, granting them the close to unrecorded and enactment successful India without any restrictions.

"Today, I'm happy to denote that OCI cards volition beryllium fixed to the sixth procreation of the Indian diaspora successful Trinidad and Tobago. We aren't just connected by humor oregon surname. You are connected by belonging. India welcomes, and India embraces you!" he said.

This marks Modi’s archetypal bilateral sojourn to Trinidad and Tobago and the archetypal sojourn by an Indian PM to the state since 1999.