Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met Kuwait-based retired Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Mangal Sain Handa after his granddaughter Shreya Juneja requested him to meet her 101-year-old grandfather.
Ms Juneja’s post read, “Humble request to Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet my 101 year old ex-IFS officer Nanaji in Kuwait during TMRW’s interaction with Indian diaspora. Nana @MangalSenhanda is a big fan of yours.” “The details have been emailed to your office.”
Humble request to Honorable Prime Minister @NarendraModi To meet his 101-year-old ex-IFS officer grandfather in Kuwait during TMRW’s interaction with the Indian diaspora. Grandfather @mangalsenhanda Is a big fan of yours. Have the details been emailed to your office?
CC: @PMOIndia @sjaishankarofc– Shreya Juneja (@_ShreyaJuneja) 20 December 2024
To everyone’s surprise, Mr Modi responded positively and said he looked forward to meeting them in Kuwait. “Absolutely! I’m looking forward to meeting @MangalSainHanda ji in Kuwait today”, he replied to Juneja on X.
Absolutely! I look forward to meeting @mangalsenhanda Yes, in Kuwait today.
-Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 21 December 2024
His son Dilip Handa told news agency ANI, “This is the experience of a lifetime. PM Modi said that he has come here especially to meet him (his father). We are grateful to Prime Minister Modi…”
#Watch Prime Minister Narendra Modi met 101-year-old former IFS officer Mangal Sain Handa in Kuwait City.
PM Modi is on a 2-day visit to Kuwait at the invitation of Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait. This is the first visit of an Indian… pic.twitter.com/T2qpgJm422
– ANI (@ANI) 21 December 2024
There are about one million Indians living as expatriates in Kuwait, the largest expatriate community in the country, and Mr Modi interacted with the Indian community there.
His visit to Kuwait is significant in terms of bilateral relations between the two countries, especially because it is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister in 43 years. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi last visited Kuwait in 1981.
He will be in Kuwait for two days on 21-22 December 2024 and his visit was at the invitation of the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
“The Indian community is the largest expatriate community in Kuwait. The visit will provide an opportunity to further strengthen the multifaceted relations between India and Kuwait,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said ahead of PM Modi’s visit.
The Prime Minister is expected to hold several important meetings in the next two days.
