The world recently witnessed a significant historical shift as Barbados, a Caribbean island nation, decided to take down Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state, nearly 400 years after becoming a British colony. The country had been under the British rule for an extremely long period until it gained independence 55 years ago. Barbados is now standing up tall as the world’s newest republic while deciding to remain one of the 54 Commonwealth countries.
About Barbados
Barbados is a small island nation situated in the southeast Caribbean Sea, neighbored by Saint Lucia in the north, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the west, and Trinidad and Tobago in the south. Its capital city is Bridgetown. The country celebrated its independence on November 30, 1966. Currently, Dame Sandra Prunella Mason serves as the President, while Mia Amor Mottley is the acting Prime Minister. Additionally, Barbados is also a crucial member of the Caribbean Community, abbreviated as CARICOM, formed in 1973.
Exploring the History of Barbados
A deep dive into the history of Barbados reveals that it became an English colony first in 1625. Consequently, for over 400 years, it served as an essential hub of trade and commerce for the British Empire. However, this period was marked by numerous atrocities such as slavery, indentured labor, and a conspicuous lack of democracy.
The Relations between India and Barbados
India and Barbados share close and friendly relations, frequently interacting in international platforms like the United Nations, Commonwealth, and Non-Aligned Movement. Barbados also signed the International Solar Alliance, ratifying it in January 2021. In 2015, the two countries entered into an Air Services Agreement to ease travel arrangements between them and explore potential direct air connectivity and chartered flight operations. Barbados has also supported India in the past, such as by voting for its candidature for a Non-Permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2011-12, and backing India’s bid for a permanent seat on the Security Council.
Bilateral Trade
Bilateral trade between India and Barbados saw Indian exports, including vehicles, pharmaceuticals, textiles, iron & steel, organic chemicals, etc., reach USD 12.76 million in 2019-20, while Indian imports comprised mainly electrical machinery and cinematographic equipment, worth USD 1.48 million in the same period.
Sports and Culture
Cricket is a significant bond between India and Barbados, with many Barbadian cricketers being well-known in India. A number of them are members of teams in the Indian Premier League. Meanwhile, there is a small community of around 2,500 people of Indian origin residing in Barbados, most of whom have acquired local nationality.
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations is an international intergovernmental organization comprising mostly former territories of the British Empire. Established by the London Declaration in 1949, it counts Queen Elizabeth II as its head. The Commonwealth is home to 2.5 billion people across both advanced economies and developing countries, with Rwanda being the most recent country to join in 2009. The heads of government from all Commonwealth nations meet every two years at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
