Famous Hindus in Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname

Quick answer: The most prominent Hindu in Caribbean public life today is Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago since 2025 and the country's first woman Prime Minister. Others include the late Basdeo Panday, the first Hindu Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago; Vijay Maharaj of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha; Guyana's Vindhya Persaud, minister and Hindu Dharmic Sabha president; cricketer Shivnarine Chanderpaul; and in Suriname, National Assembly Chair Ashwin Adhin and the late former President Chan Santokhi. Roles are as of 9 October 2026.

The Caribbean is one of the oldest homes of the Hindu diaspora, and its Hindu public figures are not recent arrivals. They are the great-grandchildren of people who crossed the ocean in the 19th century, and in Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname they now sit at the very top of national life. This guide is organised by country and field, not by rank, and every fact comes with a source.

From indenture to national leadership

In broad terms, Indian indentured labourers began arriving in British Guiana (now Guyana) in 1838, in Trinidad in 1845 and in Suriname in 1873, mostly to work on sugar plantations after the abolition of slavery. Most came from what are now Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and many were Hindus who carried the Ramayana, the Hanuman Chalisa and village festival traditions with them. The indenture system ended around 1917. Over the following century, their descendants built temples, schools and Hindu organisations, and in time entered politics, the professions and sport.

That history shows in the details below: prime ministers sworn in on the Bhagavad Gita, a state funeral held under Hindu rites, and a parliamentary oath taken in Sanskrit. The same Surinamese Hindustani community also shaped Dutch politics; see our guide to famous Hindus in Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

At a glance

Name	Country	Field	Known for
Kamla Persad-Bissessar	Trinidad and Tobago	Politics	Prime Minister; first woman PM
The late Basdeo Panday	Trinidad and Tobago	Politics	First Hindu and Indo-Trinidadian PM (1995-2001)
The late Satnarayan 'Sat' Maharaj	Trinidad and Tobago	Hindu organisation	SDMS Secretary General, 1977-2019
Vijay Maharaj	Trinidad and Tobago	Hindu organisation	SDMS Secretary General since 2019
Vindhya Vasini Persaud	Guyana	Politics / Hindu organisation	Minister; Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha president
The late Reepu Daman Persaud	Guyana	Politics / Hindu organisation	Founder, Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha; Vice-President
Shivnarine Chanderpaul	Guyana	Sport	Former West Indies captain, 164 Tests
Ashwin Adhin	Suriname	Politics	Chair of the National Assembly; oath in Sanskrit
The late Chan Santokhi	Suriname	Politics	President of Suriname, 2020-2025

Trinidad and Tobago

Kamla Persad-Bissessar (Prime Minister)

Current role: Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago since 2025, a post she also held from 2010 to 2015, and leader of the United National Congress (UNC).

She was the first woman Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. She was sworn in for a second time on 1 May 2025, after the UNC won 26 of 41 seats in the election of 28 April 2025 (Source: Office of the President of Trinidad and Tobago).

Hindu connection: Reuters described her as a devout Hindu in 2010, the year she was first sworn in on the Bhagavad Gita (Source: Gulf News (Reuters)). As Prime Minister in 2026, she visited nine Hindu temples for Maha Shivaratri (Source: Trinidad Guardian).

The late Basdeo Panday (Prime Minister, 1995-2001)

Roles: Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago from 1995 to 2001, and founder and leader of the United National Congress from 1989 to 2010.

Panday was the first Hindu and the first Indo-Trinidadian Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, and took the oath as Prime Minister in 1995 holding the Bhagavad Gita. He died on 1 January 2024.

Hindu connection: He received the country's first state funeral held under Hindu rites and was cremated under those rites (Source: Trinidad Guardian).

The late Satnarayan 'Sat' Maharaj (Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha)

Role: Secretary General of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) from 1977 to 2019, leading Trinidad and Tobago's largest Hindu organisation for 42 years.

He was also a columnist, whose essays were collected in The Hindu View of Trinidad and Tobago. He died on 16 November 2019 (Source: Trinidad Guardian).

Hindu connection: Beyond his decades at the head of the Maha Sabha, the Trinidad Express reported that he died clasping the Hanuman Chalisa (Source: Trinidad Express).

Vijay Maharaj (Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha)

Current role: Secretary General of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha since 2019, when he took over from his father, Satnarayan Maharaj.

In April 2025 he said the SDMS is not aligned to any political party.

Hindu connection: The Trinidad Guardian named him on 30 April 2025 as secretary general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, the main Hindu organisation in Trinidad and Tobago (Source: Trinidad Guardian).

Guyana

In Guyana, the Hindu story is closely tied to one family and one organisation, the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, and to one of the finest batsmen the West Indies has produced.

Vindhya Vasini Persaud (Minister; Dharmic Sabha president)

Current roles: Minister of Human Services and Social Security since 2020, Member of Parliament, and President of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha since 2013 (Source: Parliament of Guyana). She was still addressed as Minister in March 2026 coverage.

She was elected president of the Sabha in 2013 after her father's death and led its 50th-anniversary events in 2024.

Hindu connection: Kaieteur News reported her election in 2013 as the new leader of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (Source: Kaieteur News).

The late Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud

Roles: Founder and leader of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, founded in 1974; Minister of Agriculture and later Minister of Parliamentary Affairs (from 1992); and Vice-President of Guyana.

A Hindu pandit described as a leading authority on Hinduism in Guyana, he died in April 2013, aged 77.

Hindu connection: Stabroek News wrote that he devoted his time and energy to Hinduism and politics (Source: Stabroek News).

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (cricket)

Most recent role: Head coach of the USA women's and Under-19 teams (2022-2023). Before that he was a West Indies Test cricketer from 1994 to 2015, and a former captain.

With 164 Tests, he is one of the West Indies' leading Test run-scorers. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of the West Indies in 2018, and he is the father of Test cricketer Tagenarine Chanderpaul.

Hindu connection: His 2018 UWI honorary-graduate citation described him as sustained by his strong Hindu faith and belief in a simple life (Source: UWI Today).

Suriname

Ashwin Adhin (Chair of the National Assembly)

Current role: Chair of the National Assembly of Suriname since 2025. He was previously Vice President of Suriname (2015-2020) and Minister of Education and Community Development (2013-2015).

An NDP politician, he was elected Chair of the National Assembly in June 2025, and was guest of honour at the Indian Embassy's 153rd Indian Arrival Day event in June 2026.

Hindu connection: Tribune India reported that he took his oath as National Assembly chairman in Sanskrit in 2025 (Source: Tribune India), and Wikipedia describes him as a Hindu of Indian descent.

The late Chan Santokhi (President, 2020-2025)

Roles: President of Suriname from 2020 to 2025, Chairman of the Progressive Reform Party (VHP) from 2011 to 2026, and Minister of Justice and Police from 2005 to 2010.

He was elected President by acclamation in July 2020 and was succeeded by Jennifer Geerlings-Simons in July 2025. He remained VHP chairman until his death on 30 March 2026 in Paramaribo, aged 67 (Source: NOS).

Hindu connection: He was born into an Indo-Surinamese Hindu family in Lelydorp and was widely reported as Suriname's Hindu president.

Threads that run through these lives

Oaths and rites in public: the Gita at swearing-in ceremonies, a Sanskrit oath and a state funeral under Hindu rites show how Hindu practice has become part of national ceremony. Compare other examples in leaders sworn in on the Bhagavad Gita outside India.
Institutions passed between generations: both the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha and the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha have passed from a founding leader to the next generation of the same family.
Caribbean links worldwide: Suriname's Hindustani community also shaped Dutch public life, and Caribbean Hindu families are part of the wider diaspora in North America; see Famous Hindu Canadians 2026 for Hindu public figures there.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the Hindu Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago?

Kamla Persad-Bissessar has been Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago since 2025, having also served from 2010 to 2015. She was the country's first woman Prime Minister, was sworn in on the Bhagavad Gita in 2010, and was described by Reuters that year as a devout Hindu.

Who was the first Hindu Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago?

The late Basdeo Panday, Prime Minister from 1995 to 2001, was the first Hindu and first Indo-Trinidadian Prime Minister. He took the oath holding the Bhagavad Gita and, after his death on 1 January 2024, received the country's first state funeral held under Hindu rites.

What is the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha?

It is the main Hindu organisation in Trinidad and Tobago. The late Satnarayan 'Sat' Maharaj was its Secretary General from 1977 to 2019, and his son Vijay Maharaj has held the post since 2019.

Which famous cricketer from Guyana is Hindu?

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the former West Indies captain who played 164 Tests. His 2018 honorary doctorate citation from the University of the West Indies described him as sustained by his strong Hindu faith.

Who took an oath in Sanskrit in Suriname?

Ashwin Adhin, elected Chair of Suriname's National Assembly in June 2025, took his oath of office in Sanskrit, Tribune India reported.

When did Indian indentured labourers arrive in the Caribbean?

In broad terms, the first arrivals were in British Guiana (Guyana) in 1838, Trinidad in 1845 and Suriname in 1873, and the indenture system ended around 1917. Many Hindu families in the region trace their roots to that era.

Editor's note (9 October 2026)

People are included only where public statements or reputable reports (official government and parliament pages, major news outlets, or the person's own words) establish their Hindu faith; Indian heritage alone is not enough. Roles are given as of 9 October 2026 and can change. People who have died are marked as the late, and we report only the facts of their death given in our sources. The indentureship history is summarised in general terms only. If you spot an error or an outdated role, please let us know and we will correct it.

Image credit: neiljs, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Waterloo_Temple,_Trinidad.jpg).