Remembering Professor Brinsley Samaroo.

​The National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago extends our condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Professor Emeritus Brinsley Samaroo. Professor Samaroo was an acclaimed researcher, historian, politician, and academic who was known for his in-depth exploration into Trinidad and Tobago’s working class movements, Indo-Caribbean history, and political history.
Professor Samaroo began his academic career studying at universities in Delhi and the United Kingdom, before returning home to Trinidad & Tobago where he pioneered research into the Indian diaspora. After accepting teaching positions at the University of the West Indies to lecture in New World, and South Asian history, he decided to turn his focus to politics where he served as an Opposition Senator from 1982-1986.
Following this, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1986, and was a notable figure in the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), especially during the 1990 Coup where - according to former government minister Winston Dookeran - he was integral to helping oversee deliberations.
Beyond politics, Professor Samaroo pursued his academic career for over fifty years at the University of the West Indies, publishing numerous books and articles concerning Trinbago’s history. Some of these include: “The Art of Garnet Ifill: Glimpses of the Sugar Industry”, “The Price of Conscience: Howard Nankivell and Labour Unrest in the Caribbean 1937-1938” and, “Adrian Cola Rienzi: The Life and Times of an Indo-Caribbean Progressive”.
This photo showing Professor Brinsley Samaroo is courtesy of the Daily Express Newspaper, June 13, 2023. This newspaper is part of the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago Newspaper Collection.
(source: National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago, July 10, 2023)