opinion | Why did Modi get emotional while talking to a poor Muslim girl?
During a live video conferencing from Bharuch in Gujarat on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi became emotional when he saw a Muslim girl aspiring to become a doctor crying on her father’s shoulder. The Prime Minister had tears in his eyes as the girl told him that she wanted to become a doctor to help her poor father, who was visually impaired.
Modi was interacting in Gujarati with thousands of people from Delhi to Bharuch as part of the ‘Utkarsh Samaroh’. Ayub Patel, a blind Muslim man, was telling Modi how both his daughters had become beneficiaries of the government scholarship scheme and they were studying because of the scholarship money they were getting.
Ayub told the PM how he lost his eyesight due to glaucoma while working in Saudi Arabia, but he did not give up hope and now his daughter Aaliya is studying, and aspires to become a doctor. Modi intervened and asked if his daughter Aaliya was sitting with him. Alia got up, welcomed the PM but started crying while sitting on her father’s shoulder.
Ayub Bhai told Modi that his daughter would not be able to speak as she was crying, but his silence touched strings of emotion in Modi’s heart. The Prime Minister became emotional. Tears welled up from Modi’s eyes and there was pin drop silence for a few minutes.
The program was being broadcast live on television. The cameras were recording the feelings of both the prime minister and the poor girl crying several thousand kilometers away. Modi regained his composure and asked Ayub Bhai how he spent his Ramzan and Eid this time. After Ayub’s reply, Modi told him, “Teach your daughters, fulfill their dreams. If you run into any problems, just let me know.”
For the last 20 years, Modi has been a target of those who hate him and hold him responsible for all the atrocities being committed against minorities. But this direct dialogue between the Prime Minister and a poor Gujarati Muslim is what defines our New India.
A few seconds of silence is enough to describe the truth about Modi’s intentions and the way he works. The two-minute conversation between PM and Ayub Bhai cleared the whole picture. I would like to mention here the conversation between Modi and Ayub Patel:
Ayub Patel: Since your government came to power, we are getting scholarships.
PM: How many scholarships?
Ayub: The elder daughter gets Rs 10,000 and the younger daughter Rs 8,000.
PM: What have your daughters decided to do after completing their studies?
Ayub: The eldest daughter has scored 80 per cent marks, the result has just come and she wants to become a doctor.
PM: Is she sitting with you right now?
Ayub: Yes, she is sitting with me.
PM: Daughter, tell me your name.
Ayub: Sir, please give him your blessings.
PM: My blessings, what is your name son?
Aaliyah: My name is Aaliyah.
PM: Son, tell me why do you want to become a doctor?
Aaliyah: Seeing Papa’s trouble (crying)
Ayub: She will not be able to speak, sir. She has become emotional.
PM: Well, tell your daughter….
Alia: I can’t speak.
PM: Daughter, your spirit is your strength. (a long, pin-drop silence)
PM: How did you celebrate Eid, Ramadan this time?
Ayub: We happily celebrated together.
PM: What Eid gift did you give to your daughters?
Ayub: I gave them money, bought clothes and other things for them.
PM: Look, definitely fulfill the dreams of your daughters.. If there is any difficulty, then definitely tell.
Ayub: All right, sir.
PM: You are turning your physical pain into your strength. Your daughter got the inspiration to become a doctor from you.
Ayub: Sir, Delhi is several hundred kilometers away. Sitting there you are thinking of us. Thanks sir. I thank you wholeheartedly for the way you are working day and night for the progress of the country. By changing the word ‘disabled’ to ‘Divyang’ (physically disabled), you have made us proud. We thank you for this.
Ayub Bhai Patel is among more than 13,000 people who have benefited from government schemes. Though she lost her eyesight due to glaucoma, and the prime minister was not holding tears, yet, in their hearts, they know, it is because of Modi that their daughters are getting scholarships, they get Used to be. Pension, free ration, and free railway and government bus travel passes. Ayub knows that if Modi’s plans had not been implemented, his family life would have become bleak now.
District Collector of Bharuch said, 13,430 beneficiaries were identified by the district administration under the Utkarsh initiative, where 100 percent saturation coverage is given to eligible families for four major schemes: (1) Ganga Swaroop Financial Assistance Scheme, (2) Indira Gandhi Vriddha Sahay Yojna (3) Niradhar Vriddha Financial Assistance Scheme and (4) Rashtriya Kutumb Sahay Yojana. The collector said, generally poor people are unaware of these four schemes and the administration organized camps from January to March to identify these beneficiaries.
Narendra Modi felt the pain of a daughter who was dreaming of becoming a doctor to help her poor father who had lost his eyesight. This pain can be felt by those people who have seen poverty in life. The way Modi spoke to Aaliya and her father on Thursday, only a son of poor parents can speak. I pray that Alia becomes a doctor one day, cures her father and fulfills his dreams.
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