As Finance Minister Dave Tancoo prepares to present the National Budget on Monday he is calling on nationals living abroad to return to Trinidad and Tobago. He was speaking at the opening of the Annual Divali Nagar celebrations on Saturday night at the NCIC Nagar in Chaguanas. Sharla Kistow
00:00Across the seas live thousands of our sons and daughters, the Trinidad and Tobago diaspora.
00:08There are scholars in London, doctors in New York, teachers in Toronto, entrepreneurs in Miami, engineers in Dubai, and professionals in every corner of the globe.
00:18To you, our brothers and sisters around the globe, I say this, your exile is over, and your motherland, your Janmabhumi, calls for you.
00:28Come home.
00:32Just as the people of Ayodhya long for Sri Ram's return, Trinidad and Tobago longs for yours.
00:40The finance minister urged TNT nationals to invest, teach, and mentor their own as they return home with Trenton National Development.
00:49Whether you were born on our Twin Islands or born off them, whether your feet once touched the soil of Trinidad and Tobago,
00:58or your roots reached back to the memories of your parents and grandparents.
01:03If you are proud to call yourself a Trinbegonian, then know this, your nation beckons you.
01:10Your homeland, by birth, by blood, or by bond, bids you to return.
01:16Not just to a place, but to a promise.
01:21Bring your light back to the land that raised you, or raise those that raised you.
01:28Raise up this land with your vision, your gifts, your presence.
01:33Return to your Trinbegonian roots, whether they lie in the hills of Trinidad or on the shores of Tobago.
01:40He also paid a tribute to the late, former NCIC president, Deroop Timol, for his unwavering love for culture.
01:48His legacy will live on in every day of lit and in every act of savor performed in the name of culture and faith.
01:57May his soul find eternal peace, and may we keep his spirit alive by nurturing the light that he so passionately kindled.
02:06NCIC president, Siruj Dio Mangroos, said education goes beyond academics,
02:12and warns are that indiscipline among children reflects deeper national issues.
02:18Across our schools and communities, we are witnessing troubling patterns of behavior among our children.
02:25Disrespect, indiscipline, violence, and a weakening of moral values are becoming too frequent.
02:31This is not just a school problem, it is a national concern.
02:37If our children falter, it means we as a society are not doing enough to guide them.
02:42He notes that this year's Diwali theme calls for collective responsibility and compassion.
02:48He called on the government, educators, and faith leaders to recognize Diwali Nagar
02:53as a national institution for culture and moral development.
02:57By investing in Diwali Nagar, we are investing in the moral compass of our nation.
03:03We are giving our children a foundation that textbooks cannot provide.
03:10We are ensuring that the values of discipline, respect, and compassion are preserved for generations to come.
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