It is indeed a matter of great pride and honour and satisfaction to know that many of you occupy high places in the society, institutions and government of various countries,' Srivastava said.

Indian High Commissioner Malay Mishra spoke about the umbilical cord that connects India with its diaspora.

'There are serious historical and ethnic ties that bind India and the diaspora,' he said.

The seminar is one of several initiatives to mark India's 62nd and Trinidad and Tobago's 47th anniversary of independence. India achieved its independence from Britain Aug 15, 1947 and Trinidad and Tobago Aug 31 1962.

President of the National Council of Indian Council (NCIC) Deokienanan Sharma said that the cultural personality of the Indo-Trinidadian plucked from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and embellished in its new habitat is unique.

Sharma said that visitors, particularly from India, have marvelled at the beauty and uniqueness of Trinidadian festivals like Divali, Phagwa, Ram Leela and classical singing.

Deosaran Bisnath, President of GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago, called on the seminar 'not to waste resources on what is settled history. We know where we came from, how we came, and how we progressed and advanced to 2009.

'Let us now focus in making our countries as successful as India 2009 -- a nation on the verge of superpower status, a shining nation of stability and success in the midst of war, violence, poverty, backwardness, and underachievement.'

The Indian diaspora in Trinidad and Tobago equals 44 percent of the population of 1.3 million people. Some 147,000 Indians came here between 1845 and 1917 to work on the sugar plantations, principally from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.