Hansard - Parliament

20
2012.05.08
unimportant, but there are some things, especially relationships between
people, as well as between countries, that are priceless and invaluable.
[Desk thumping] As invaluable as the Chair in which you once sat, at the
other place, the Red House, which was given as a gift by the Government of
India. [Desk thumping]
India was amongst the first country to recognize Trinidad and Tobago as
an independent nation in 1962, along with such other countries like the
United Kingdom, Canada, Nigeria and the Netherlands. India has been one
of our most significant bilateral partners and has been cooperating with
Trinidad and Tobago at the multilateral level. Perhaps, the hon. Senator
would like to find out from the hon. Leader of the Opposition and, perhaps,
the hon. Leader of the Opposition would support the view, following his
recent visit to India that, in fact, more should be done to enhance the
relationship between our countries. Perhaps, the hon. Leader of the
Opposition would have told this hon. Senator that he would have been
impressed with the phenomenal transformation of India as an economic
giant of which the world has been speaking.
Mr. President, I sincerely hope that the motivation behind the question of
the hon. Senator is not a subconscious paranoia that has consumed so many
on the Opposition Benches ever since the Prime Minister and her delegation
undertook this very successful mission to the Asian subcontinent.
You will recall the furor that became almost obsessive from the
Opposition Bench when the Prime Minister who grew up in a rural Hindu
home exercised an important aspect of her sacred tradition by not submitting
to, but paying obeisance at the feet of an elder, the greatest form of respect
that one can pay to the teachings of one’s scriptures, yet those not schooled