Standing in the Red House of Trinidad and Tobago, a building marked by the scars of a failed coup in 1990, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a pointed appeal.
“Terrorism is the enemy of humanity,” he said.
It was more than a statement. It was a call to action, and the timing couldn’t have been more pressing. Modi’s address to the joint session of Parliament came just days after a terror attack in Pahalgam claimed the lives of 26 people.
Speaking to lawmakers and observers around the world, Modi asked for one thing: unity.
“We must stand united to deny terrorism any shelter or space,” he said on Friday. “We thank the people and the government of this country for standing with us in our fight against terrorism.”
Framing the Fight in Global Terms
Though Modi’s speech marked India–Trinidad and Tobago relations, it also addressed larger global issues beyond the bilateral stage.
He talked about change.
The kind that’s reshaping global politics. Trade. Power. Priorities.
“There are fundamental shifts like politics and power,” he said. “Free trade is under pressure. There are growing global divisions, disputes, and disparities.”
It was a sobering assessment. But not without direction.
He called on democracies to hold firm, to resist the pull of division and stay grounded in shared values.
Common Ground Across the Ocean
Modi didn’t try to gloss over differences in geography or scale. Instead, he leaned into what he saw as a deeper connection.
“We may be far apart in size and geography,” he said, “but our values bring us close.”
He pointed to democracy. Dialogue. Multilateralism. Sovereignty. Human dignity.
“These are the values we must hold onto,” he said, “especially in times of conflict.”
A Message From a Symbolic Place
His words took on extra meaning because of where he stood.
The Red House in Port of Spain isn’t just a legislative chamber. It’s a national symbol. One still remembered for the violent coup attempt in July 1990.
Modi referenced that moment.
He didn’t dwell on it, but he made the connection.
“This very Red House has itself witnessed the wounds of terror and the loss of innocent blood,” he said.
It was part history, part warning. And it came wrapped in a message of unity. Global threats, he implied, need global answers.
The visit wasn’t just diplomatic. It was strategic. And Modi, through both words and setting, seemed intent on reminding the world what’s at stake.
