Call for closer co-operation between TT and India

Chaguanas Mayor Dr Suruj Rambachan called for more co-operation between India and TT in this age of global technological advancement. He was addressing the formal opening of the ten-day Indian Trade Festival at the Divali Nagar site, Endeavour Road, Chaguanas, on Sunday night. The audience included Diane Seukeran, Junior Trade Minister; Satish Ramroop, Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Culture and members of the Diplomatic Corps. Dr Rambachan made a call for the removal of tax on all musical instruments imported from India “so that they would be used in helping to promote culture and an allocation from Government of $5 million that would assist in completing the facilities at the Divali Nagar, owned and operated by the National Council for Indian Culture.”

“It is an opportune time to reduce taxes on musical instruments to allow people to develop cultural practices in a country where cultural pursuits play a significant role in the development process,” Mayor Rambachan said. He described the Divali Nagar as “the cultural cradle of Central Trinidad and one worthy of development and if it comes into being, it would help in cementing a cultural relationship between India and Trinidad and Tobago.” He felt that India could be of greater help to Trinidad and Tobago in the area of agriculture, education, religion, pharmaceuticals and information technology. He welcomed the  trade delegation to Trinidad and Tobago and said, “While you are here, I am sure that you would have a productive time.” Diane Seukeran replied to Mayor Rambachan on the point of the $5 million donation to improve the Divali Nagar site and said that the request should have been made earlier to get into the Budget in October.

Other speakers included Virendra Gupta, Indian High Commissioner and Ajai Singh, President of the Mother India Club and Chief Co-ordinator of the Trade Festival of India. Thousands of people attended the opening day’s programme on Sunday which started at 12 noon and ended at 9 pm with business activity buzzing at fever pitch. There were over 50 stalls displaying saris, brass ware, pottery, wooden chairs, purses, handbags, jewelry, Indian ornaments, toilet sets, wash basins and stands for reading religious books. The items were all reasonably priced and the public jostled for positions to make purchases. Singh said, “We should hold hands tighter and closer in an effort to develop further trade between the two countries.”