the Bihar connection of Rajkeswur Purryag & Kamla Persad-Bissessar

Can you link : Rajkeswur Purryag to Kamla Persad ?

Kamla Persad-Bissessar, is the  Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the seventh person to hold this position. She was sworn in as Prime Minister on May 26, 2010 and is the country's first female Prime Minister. 

Rajkeswur Purryag (also known as Kailash Purryag), is a Mauritian politician who has been President of Mauritius since 2012. He was elected as the fifth President of Mauritius by the National Assembly and took office on 21 July 2012. He succeeded Sir Anerood Jugnauth, who spent nine years as President from 2003 until resigning in March 2012. Kailash Purryag previously served as Member of Parliament, Minister and Speaker of the National Assembly; he made his debut in the political arena at an early age in 1976.  He is an attorney at law and practices in Mauritius. He is recipient of both highest order merits in Mauritius.

There is news that the  President of Mauritius is the latest leader to find roots in Bihar... as he traces relatives to Wajitpur village and plans to visit the land of his forefathers in the state. Purryag is scheduled to visit Wajitpur village in Punpun block of Patna district to get a feel of the place that his ancestors had left behind to sail to Mauritius decades ago. He is expected to meet his poor relatives who are still living in the nondescript village. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said Purryag had expressed his desire to visit Wajitpur during his upcoming visit to India. "The state government and the locals will felicitate him in the village and organise events to commemorate his arrival," Nitish said.

Nitish, who went to Wajitpur along with a few ministers and senior officials on Monday to oversee the preparation for the visiting dignitary's trip, said it was a matter of great pride for Bihar that people from the state had climbed to the posts of President and Prime Minister in foreign countries. "Even the father of the nation of Mauritius, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, hailed from Bihar." Nitish said.  

Purryag had requested Nitish to identify his ancestral village in Bihar while the latter had gone to Mauritius after becoming the chief minister in 2007. On his return, the Bihar government officials succeeded in locating the village in Masaurhi sub-division of Patna district and also dug out the family tree of Purryag's ancestors.  On the basis of it, the Mahtos from the villages were subsequently identified as his relatives.  The visit of Purryag, who will attend the Pravasi Bharatiya Sammelan in Kochi (starting January 7) during his trip to India, has enthused the village. The chief minister has asked the officials to build a road leading to the Mahtos' house before Purryag's visit.

Last year, it was the turn of  ancestral village called Bhelupur that got spruced by residents voluntarily completing nearly 4,000 sq feet long road in 48 hours, ready to welcome a famous person.   It was Bhelupur, a village in Buxar district of Bihar state, falling in the the administrative jurisdiction of Itarhi Community Development Block, about 125 km from Patna, the capital city of Bihar and the person was Ms. Kamla Persad-Bissessar  -   the Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

She was at the village reconnecting  with the land of her ancestors in Bihar by underlining a "relationship of heart" with its people.  The place bustled with activity as she addressed a  huge gathering on 9th Jan 12 at Bhelupur village,  from where her forefathers had migrated to the Caribbean island 123 years ago.   Persad-Bissessar said she had become the PM of a country because of the blessings of her ancestors and the people from their land. "Whatever I am today, it is because of my forefathers," she said. "It is in my genetic make-up and DNA." She said in an emotionally charged speech.

Her  swearing-in ceremony was significant to us, as she swore on Bhagavad Gita, the holy book, promising to do her duty to her people.  A descendant of Indian indentured labourers who came to Trinidad to work the sugar plantations from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar between 1845 and 1917, Ms Persad-Bissessar grew up with traditional Indian values and strong religious ties. Ms Persad-Bissessar has shown admirable political savvy, openly courting the media and reacting swiftly to public opinion.

So Bihar has great connections and those of Bihar origin have reached great heights outside…

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

2^nd Jan 2013.