Modi’s mother turns 100

BY S VENKAT NARAYAN

Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, June 19: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother Heeraba Modi turned 100 on Saturday. He visited her in Gandhinagar in his native Gujarat state, paid respects to her by washing her feet—a millennia-old Hindu custom.He wrote a long emotional blog on the occasion, hailing her as an inspiration and a source of strength in his life.

In the blog, he wrote: “Mother used to wash utensils at a few houses to help meet the household expenses. She would also take out time to spin the charkha (wheel) to supplement our meagre income. She would do everything from peeling cotton to spinning yarn.”

Modi further wrote: “Our house may have been small, but she was extremely large-hearted. A close friend of my father used to stay in a nearby village. After his untimely death, my father brought his friend’s son, Abbas, to our home. He stayed with us and completed his studies. Mother was as affectionate and caring towards Abbas just like she did for all of us…Every year on Eid, she used to prepare his favourite dishes.”