India, Trinidad and Tobago sign pact to trace girmitiya roots
India
India and Trinidad and Tobago just signed a new agreement to help people of Indian descent in Trinidad connect with their family history.
Announced by India's Foreign Minister S Jaishankar at Nelson Island, while recalling the arrival of the first Indian workers in Trinidad and Tobago in 1845 (about 181 years ago as of May 2026), the move is part of a bigger effort to celebrate and preserve the story of the Girmitya community, whose ancestors came from India as indentured laborers.
Girmitya Studies Centre, Nelson Island upgrades
Jaishankar also shared plans for a new Girmitya Studies Centre to research this community's journey, plus upgrades for Nelson Island's heritage sites using Indian funding: think memorials, digital archives, and an audiovisual hub.