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THE EDITOR: The Indo-Trinidadian diaspora in New York and myself are deeply saddened by the demise of Senator Deoroop Teemal, who was also president of the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC).
In the diaspora, he is well known as a person who served Indian Trinidadian culture with dedication and kindness. His leadership and commitment to Indian culture were inspiring, and he was viewed as a pillar of strength and wisdom, dedicating his life to uplifting the Hindu community and beyond.
Teemal ji was a compassionate and extraordinary human being, a man of humility with an unwavering commitment to making our society better. He served as a shining example of selflessness and compassion. I know the selflessness he carried and shared. He was also a thoughtful engineer who balanced an ethos of hard work with family care.
His tireless efforts as a leader, activist and servant of the community have left an indelible mark on the lives of those close to Indian organisations, the NCIC in particular.
Teemal’s demise leaves behind a rich legacy of leadership in the NCIC and tireless advocacy for ethnic (Indian) equality. He provided stable leadership to one of TT's most prestigious cultural organisations. His passing is a deep loss to the NCIC and to all those whose lives he touched in TT and to the Indo-Trinidadian community in the diaspora who are aware of his work.
Tributes have poured in from political leaders and heads of organisations across party and religious lines, acknowledging his invaluable contribution to society.
He is remembered as someone who selflessly dedicated much of his life to promoting and propagating Indian culture. He was a man of deep commitment to his work and compassion towards the less fortunate. The humility he embodied aptly reflects the ethos he embraced.
He was known to endear himself to political, business, and community leaders in order to serve Indian culture and for the success of the NCIC. Though a mere two years as president, he leaves behind a good legacy at the council. He had earlier served decades in the executive. He also served in various religious and cultural organisations like the Hindu Seva Sangh that he once led.
My first encounter with Teemal ji goes back to the 1980s when he attended training camps where Guyanese Swami Aksharananda and Hindu intellectual Ravi Dev made presentations that impressed him. He spoke glowingly of our work on Indian culture and in pushing back against Forbes Burnham's authoritarian rule. We met several times after, discussing the state of the Indian community in TT and in Guyana.
Teemal ji always welcomed me with a smile. In fact, he had a trademark smile with everyone, never really angry with anyone. Every time I met him his zeal and commitment to the betterment of TT and its people amazed me. I cherished the support and encouragement he provided in conducting opinion polls, telling me to ignore detractors and focus on my work.
I will remember the many years of working with Teemal ji in many programmes and projects, including organising conferences with Dr Primnath Goopta, who also worked closely with Teemal ji. He encouraged the organisation of conferences on various aspects of the Indian diaspora.
Teemal’s most significant contribution to TT is not leading an organisation and serving in the Senate, nor the programmes and projects that he inspired, but the personal connections he made with so many people, including many of us in the diaspora.
His legacy will continue to motivate many to serve our communities with humility and dedication. The NCIC will miss him very dearly as they do Dr Deokinanan Sharma and Hans Hanoomansingh.
Teemal will live on in our hearts. My condolences to his family, friends, members of the NCIC and his many admirers. Om Sadgati! Om Shanti!

DR VISHNU BISRAM

via e-mail
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