Who is Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Trinidad & Tobago's first woman PM, whom PM Modi called 'Bihar Ki Beti'?

Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the current Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, was recently referred to as “Bihar ki beti” by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to the Indian community in the Caribbean nation.

Modi's remark was a tribute to her ancestral roots in Bhelupur village, located in Bihar's Buxar district, from where her forefathers had migrated over a century ago.

Donning a blue saree, Persad-Bissessar received PM Modi at Port of Spain and also welcomed him with a guard of honour and traditional performances on the second leg of his five-nation tour.

“Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's ancestors lived in Buxar, Bihar. Kamala ji herself has visited there. People consider her a daughter of Bihar,” PM Modi said during his speech.

'It's in my DNA': Persad-Bissessar’s emotional homecoming to Bihar
PM Modi's remarks were not just a ceremonial reference. In 2012, Kamla Persad-Bissessar made a deeply personal visit to Bhelupur village in Bihar, where she addressed a large gathering and paid homage to her roots. Speaking emotionally, she had said, “Whatever I am today, it is because of my forefathers. It is in my genetic make-up and DNA.”

“They left the country at a time when there was no cellphone or social networking sites… They, in fact, could not even read and write but they carried with them their quintessential culture and values of their community and land,” she added.

She referred to the people of the village as family and described her visit as a “relationship of heart.” Calling herself a “granddaughter of the village,” she spent over 90 minutes at Bhelupur along with her husband Dr. Gregory Bissessar and a 20-member delegation.

Also Read: PM Modi calls Kamla Persad-Bissessar 'daughter of Bihar', asks her to offer Sarayu and Mahakumbh water to Ganga Dhara

Tracing the journey from Buxar to Trinidad
Persad-Bissessar’s ancestral connection was confirmed by archival research. After she became Prime Minister in 2010, it has been reported that a Trinidad-based researcher Shamsuddin accessed the country's national archives and found that a man named Ram Lakhan Mishra, son of Bhawani Swaroop Mishra, had arrived in Trinidad on October 24, 1889, as part of the Girmitiya labour migration. Remarkably, his family preserved the original ship ticket used for the journey.

Indian researcher M. N. Tiwari, working with Shamsuddin, used Bihar’s 1912 land records and 1969 revenue ceiling documents to trace the Mishra family's descendants still living in Bhelupur.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar: An educator, lawyer and political leader
Born on April 22, 1952, in Siparia, Kamla Persad-Bissessar is the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago — first in 2010 and once again after her party’s win in the 2025 general elections.

Also Read: PM Modi brings Ram Mandir replica, Sarayu water to Trinidad and Tobago; recalls diaspora's devotion in sending 'shilas' and holy water for Ayodhya temple

A graduate of Iere High School, she pursued higher studies across Jamaica, England, and Trinidad, earning multiple degrees including a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.), a Bachelor of Laws (Hons.), and a Legal Education Certificate, eventually completing an Executive MBA from the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business.

She began her career as an educator and social worker, teaching at institutions in Jamaica and Trinidad, including the University of the West Indies, before transitioning into full-time legal practice. Her entry into public life began in 1987 as an alderman in the St. Patrick County Council.

Her political career took off with her appointment to the Senate in 1994, and she went on to represent the Siparia constituency in Parliament from 1995 onward, holding key portfolios such as Attorney General, Minister of Education, and Minister of Legal Affairs.

She was appointed Leader of the Opposition twice before becoming Prime Minister for the first time in 2010, creating history as the first female head of government in the country.

After a return to the opposition in 2015 and 2020, Persad-Bissessar reclaimed the Prime Minister’s office on May 1, 2025, days after her party's electoral victory.

Married to Dr. Gregory Bissessar, she is also a mother and remains a prominent political figure and symbol of Indian heritage in the Caribbean.

India-Caribbean bonds and diaspora legacy
Prime Minister Modi’s recent remarks and Persad-Bissessar’s return visit underline a growing diplomatic and cultural bond between India and the Girmitiya diaspora—descendants of indentured labourers who migrated during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

“They left Ganga and Yamuna behind but carried Ramayana in their heart. They left their soil but not their soul,” Modi said in his speech.

“They were not just migrants, they were messengers of a timeless civilisation.”