Prime Minister Narendra Modi received The Order of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, the highest civilian honor of Trinidad & Tobago, on Friday while visiting the nation.
“Honoured to be conferred with ‘The Order of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago’. I accept it on behalf of 140 crore Indians,” said PM Modi on receiving the award.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, greeted Prime Minister Modi at Piarco International Airport, accompanied by her entire cabinet, dressed in traditional Indian clothing.
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First foreign leader to receive the honour
PM Modi is the first foreign leader to be awarded this esteemed honor. He wasrecognized for his leadership, his vigorous support for the Global South, and for greatly enhancing the relationship between India and Trinidad and Tobago.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar, in her speech, referenced a poem by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his Gujarati book ‘Aankh Aa Dhanya Che’ (translating to ‘Blessed Are These Eyes’).
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Grand welcome for PM Modi
The airport was alive with cultural displays, featuring individuals in costumes representing figures from Indian mythology. The cultural displays persisted until PM Modi reached the hotel, where the Indian community greeted him with chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Modi, Modi,’ accompanied by an orchestra and traditional Bhojpuri Chautaal rhythms.
PM Modi has declared that the sixth-generation descendants of Indian-origin individuals will now qualify for Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards. This will enable them to reside and be employed in India.
