Widow of Senator Teemal: He was ailing for a while

Geeta and Kaajal Teemal, the wife and daughter of the late Independent senator Deoroop Teemal, talk to Newsday about his legacy at their St Augustine home on August 5. - Angelo Marcelle

THE late Independent Senator Deoroop Teemal, 68, had been ill for some time before his passing on August 3, unbeknown to many friends and acquaintances, his widow Geeta Teemal told Newsday on August 5. Teemal, former head of the National Council for Indian Culture (NCIC), will be given a send-off at the Divali Nagar, Chaguanas, on August 6 at 9 am and thence to the Caroni Cremation Site for 11.30 am.

Geeta, along with the couple’s daughter Kaajal, told Newsday how touched they were by the volume and sincerity of tributes to Teemal, including one person saying his life had been changed by the late cultural champion. Newsday met the relatives at their St Augustine home on August 5.

Geeta said, “He had been ailing for some time, within the past few months. It all happened very fast. The deterioration, in terms of his health, had happened quite rapidly.

“He was ailing. He just didn’t recover.

“What gives me some consolation is knowing he did so much good in a short space of time.”

She said she would forever remember as the person he used to be. “Quiet but forceful.”

Kaajal said, “Growing up, my friends always described him as a big teddy bear, because of his stature. He was a little intimidating at first, but when you get to know him he was very tender-hearted and kind and generous.”

She said the family was “hearing a lot of stories of generosity that we were not even aware of.”

Teemal was truly independent

Newsday asked about Independent Senator Anthony Vieira somewhat attributing Teemal’s decline in health to a stream of criticisms from the UNC towards the independent bench and in particular to Teemal and Vieira.

Geeta said, “It is not a hundred per cent true.

“He is not that type of person where if somebody says something, he would hold onto that.” Kaajal interjected, “My father is not one to hold grudges.”

Geeta said, “He is a supporter of honesty, truth. If the PNM has something good to say, he will support. If the UNC has something good to say, he will support it.

“If he has something negative to say, he will say it. That is why he was an independent senator.

“He is independent. He is not going to say that because they asked me, I should vote. No. He didn’t choose that route. He said it in his last contribution – why he made the choices he made. He doesn’t just say ‘yes’ to make up a number.” Geeta recalled Teemal recently supporting the Prime Minister’s Pension (Amendment) Bill 2025.

Newsday asked about UNC remarks against Teemal and Vieira.

Geeta said, “No. It did not bring on his illness. No, it did not contribute. He has this problem.”

Kajaal added, “Like I said, very few family members knew but he had been ailing for some time. The deterioration progressed quickly in the last couple of months.

“Something we all admired about him is that he was never afraid to speak his mind and the way he chose to do it is something we all admired, in a way that was respectful and also made sure his voice and the people he represented were heard.”

Geeta refereed to reports of Vieira’s controversial remarks.

“I did not read the article until people pointed it out to me, and I thought it was not fitting that came up. It was becoming like more politics. I found they should not to have said those things.”

She said Teemal had a very cordial relationship with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. “When she would visit the Nagar we would sit and eat and she would make jokes.”

Promoting Indo-culture among youths

Kaajal reflected on her father’s work in culture, especially Indo-Trinbagonian. “We grew up knowing my father always being involved in the promotion of cultural activities, but not just promotion but preservation. Also, getting more people involved, especially young people. He did work with the youths to try to get them to carry on in the same traditions.

“Also modernisation was very important to him as well. You can see with all of his work at the NCIC that it wasn’t just about preserving the culture but also taking it forward.”

Newsday asked if Teemal had any personal connection with the arts such as playing a musical instrument.

Kaajal said, “We were going to save this for the eulogy, but he and my mum actually met in an ashram where they were studying Indian music. That’s how they met. He never went on to practice.

“He plays musical instruments – the harmonium, the dholak (double-ended drum). He was very well known in the community for his drum-playing and his singing.”

She said he was known for singing kirtans – Hindu devotional songs – which are shorter in length than bhajans.

Geeta said Teemal had been trying to bring back a type of East Indian music known as Taan singing, plus classical East Indian singing.

“He wanted to bring back those things, to keep it. Don’t let it just die out.”