Trinidad and Tobago: National Archives shares feature on Kamaluddin Kamal Mohammed

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago has recently shared a featured post about Kamaluddin “Kamal” Mohammed. Born on April 20 in 1927, Mohammed was a stalwart of the Indo-Trinidadian community, serving T&T for over 60 years in religion, politics, and culture. A founding member of the People’s National Movement (PNM), he made significant contributions to T&T’s political landscape and society, according to the post on social media.

As per the update, he was fluent in many languages and worked as a labourer before becoming an Imam at the Jama Masjid in Port of Spain. In 1947, he was T&T’s first Indo-Trinidadian broadcaster on Radio Trinidad, where he hosted “Indian Talent on Parade”. Families regularly tuned in for the eclectic mix of music he offered from both Indo-Trinidadian and Afro-Trinidadian communities.

This program led to the creation of Indian radio programming in T&T by encouraging an appreciation for the Indian community’s arts, culture, and religions.

It furthermore informed that in 1954, Mohammed was approached by Dr Eric Williams and became a member of the 1956 Cabinet. He was the youngest Government Minister and was responsible for various portfolios over the years, including Public Utilities, Local Government, and Health. Under his guidance, the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, the Mt. Hope Women’s Hospital, and the Nur-E-Islam Masjid (1967) were constructed.

National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago, he served as Acting Prime Minister on occasion and, in 1978, was appointed the first non-white President of the World Health Organization. After 30 years, Mohammed retired from politics, but in 1991, he was chosen by former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday as T&T’s ambassador to CARICOM. There, he was conferred their highest honour: the Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC), for his role in championing Caribbean economic cooperation.

In 2010, Kamaluddin Mohammed was given our country’s highest National Award, the Order of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as an Honorary Doctor of Letters in 2011 from the University of the West Indies. Upon his death on December 2, 2015, the National Flag was flown at half-mast to recognise his passing.