Paras Ramoutar

Port-of-Spain, Feb 2 India and Trinidad and Tobago are connected by "an umbilical cord" and both nations share a common diversity, Indian High Commissioner Malay Mishra said here.

Speaking at the 10th anniversary of the Shri Murugan Foundation in Arouca, Mishra said: "There is an umbilical cord that connects both India and Trinidad and Tobago, and this country's rich diversity and pluralism are noted."

Mishra on Saturday hailed the "vibrancy, religious and cultural strengths of the people of T&T".

He said that while the foundation celebrated its anniversary on January 30, the world mourned the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1948.

"Gandhi maintained that truth is god, and had great spiritual energy. He was a great soul who reiterated the teachings of truth and non-violence which are fully inscribed in the religious books," he said.

This country's Indian population forming about 44 percent of the country's population of 1.3 million people was sourced from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states between 1845 and 1917. Some 145,000 Indians came to work on the sugar plantations.

Susilla Ramkissoon, an official of the foundation, said "our organisation dedicates this religious service to the sufferings, trials and disaster which hit Haiti recently".

Diiren Ponambalam, foundation's founder, gave an overview of the organisation. He said that Lord Murugan, son of Lord Shiva, was revered in several countries like Singapore, India, Mauritius and South Africa.