GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The 15-member regional integration movement, CARICOM, Wednesday paid tribute to the former Trinidad and Tobago prime minister, who died in a United States hospital on Monday at the age of 90.
In a statement, the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said Panday, the country’s fifth prime minister and first person of Indian descent to lead a government there, “held a multi-faceted career in service of his country, as a politician, trade unionist, and civil servant.
“He used his exceptional skill as a barrister to advocate passionately for workers’ rights. His belief in the value of education, and his ideologies and initiatives, have impacted the twin-island Republic”.
It recalled that as the CARICOM chairman, at the close of the last century, he hosted a two-day Summit of CARICOM leaders with deliberations that focussed on “Concluding the 20th Century and Commencing the 21st”, with outcomes aimed at preparing the Community to face the first decade of the new century.”
The CARICOM Secretariat said he was also active in media and culture as an actor, multi-linguist, and proponent of religious pluralism.
“The Community extends heartfelt condolences to his family members, friends, and the Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago. We join with all who mourn the passing of this son of our soil, who served with determination and passion and made an enduring contribution to our progress and development,” the CARICOM Secretariat added.
Panday served as prime minister between 1995-2001. The cause of his death has not been disclosed, and the Trinidad and Tobago government said he would be given a State funeral under Hindu rites.
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