KEVON FELMINE
Senior Reporter
A car crash weeks before the 2025 general election left Dr Gregory Bissessar with injuries that still affect his walking, his wife, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, revealed yesterday.
Persad-Bissessar addressed the long-running question of his absence from her side at the Siparia Women’s Association annual Divali celebration at the Siparia Constituency Office in Penal last night.
“Many people keep asking where he is. Gregory cannot join us tonight.”
The crash happened a few weeks before the election as they were heading to Sangre Grande, when another vehicle collided with the couple’s car. The Prime Minister said the injuries have not dimmed her husband.
“His great spirit and immense brainpower remain strong.”
The disclosure came after a religious ceremony and a procession from Clarke Road to the office. Cabinet ministers, a mayor, regional corporation and state board chairmen, councillors, national awardees, permanent secretaries and devotees walked with her in a festive religious showcase.
At the podium, she delivered a very public message to her husband.
“Gregory, thank you for your courage, your patience and your unwavering love. I could not have made this journey without you.”
She called him her rock and a steady light through the demands and difficulties of public life.
Persad-Bissessar said she was sharing the family matter because many in the audience were caring for someone they love. She turned to the Holy Ramayana, recalling how Sita and Lakshman accompanied Rama into forest exile while his brother Bharat held the kingdom in trust for his return. Their love, she said, was expressed in the responsibilities they carried for one another.
“Cherish those who stand beside you through hardship.”
The love that sustains families, she added, also strengthens the communities they belong to.
Reflecting on her personal journey, she pointed across the road to the Penal Market, where, as a little girl, she stood beside her grandmother, whom she called Aagie, selling bodi and other vegetables to help the family make a living. She said she never imagined she would one day stand across from it as Prime Minister, celebrating Divali with the children and grandchildren of the people who helped raise her.
She said her Government must repay that debt in service. Reliable water, accessible healthcare, properly maintained roads, education and opportunities to earn, she said, are the foundations of secure family life, and the Budget and the work of Ministries must serve that purpose, especially in communities that have waited longest. She also pledged action against crime, corruption and neglect.
It has been 31 years since she first became the area’s Member of Parliament and 29 years since the Divali tradition began.
“You will have my service, my strength and my heart to the end of my days.”
The Association, which has hosted the function for 29 years, honoured several residents. Awardees included cricketer Amrita Ramtahal, footballer Darrel Garcia, seamstress and teacher Carmina Hosein, public servant Vijai Bridglal and agriculturalist Denesh Tarsoo. Students Aurea Mahabir, Devina Dodal, Kadir Chung and Kavir Newton were also recognised.
