Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian in the context of "Indian indenture system"

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⭐ Core Definition: Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian

Indo–Trinidadians and Tobagonians or Indian Trinidadians and Tobagonians are people from Trinidad and Tobago whose ancestors are of Indian origin that came from India and the wider subcontinent beginning in 1845 during the period of colonization and indentureship.

Indo-Trinidadians and Tobagonians are a subgroup of Indo-Caribbean people, which is a subgroup of the wider Indian diaspora. Generally, most Indo-Trinidadians can trace their ancestry back to North India especially the Bhojpur and Awadh regions of the present day Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, two states located in the Gangetic plains of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers. However, some Indo-Trinidadians may trace their ancestry to other parts of South Asia, notably South India, such as the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Indians first arrived in Trinidad and Tobago as indentured laborers from India through the Indian indenture system from 1845 till 1917, and some Indians and other South Asians, along with their families, later came as entrepreneurs, businesspeople, religious leaders, doctors, engineers, and other professional occupations beginning in the mid-20th century. Some Indo-Caribbean people from many other Caribbean nations, such as Guyana, Grenada, Martinique, and Saint Croix, also immigrated to Trinidad and Tobago.

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Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian in the context of Chaguanas

The Borough of Chaguanas is the largest municipality (83,489 at the 2011 census) and fastest-growing town in Trinidad and Tobago. Located in west-central Trinidad, south of Port of Spain, north of Couva and San Fernando, and named after the indigenous tribe who originally settled there, it grew in size due to its proximity to the Woodford Lodge sugar refinery. It remained a minor town until the 1980s when it began to grow rapidly as it drew people for its bargain shopping and moderately priced housing. Its rapid growth has seen property values increase dramatically, however.

Chaguanas became a borough in 1990; prior to that, it was part of Caroni County. The current mayor is Faaiq Mohammed, and the Borough Council has historically been dominated by the United National Congress. Chaguanas has also been a hub for Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian culture and even the broader Indo-Caribbean culture.

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Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian in the context of United National Congress

The United National Congress (UNC or internationally UNCTT) is one of two major political parties in Trinidad and Tobago. The UNC is a centre-left party. It was founded in 1989 by Basdeo Panday, a Trinidadian lawyer, economist, trade unionist, and actor after a split in the ruling National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR). After spending six years in opposition, the UNC won control of the government in 1995, initially in coalition with the NAR and later on its own. In the 2000 general election, the UNC won an absolute majority in the Parliament. In 2001, a split in the party caused the UNC to lose its parliamentary majority and control of the government. From 2001 to 2010, the UNC was once again Parliamentary Opposition party. In May 2010, the UNC returned to government as the majority party in the People's Partnership. The UNC's Political Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, was sworn in as the first female Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. Kamla Persad-Bissessar was Prime Minister from 2010 until 2015 and then again from 2025 to present after they won that year's general elections.

The party symbol is the sun rising above the Trinity Hills. Historically, the UNC has been supported by a majority of Indo-Trinidadians and Tobagonians, especially Hindu Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians, thus it is colloquially called the Indian Party or the Hindu Party. The Spiritual Baptist and other racial and religious minorities of the country also support the party.

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