In a heartwarming gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met 101-year-old retired Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Mangal Sain Handa during his visit to Kuwait.
The meeting came after Handa’s granddaughter, Shreya Juneja, reached out on the social media platform X, requesting the PM to meet her grandfather.
“Humble request to Hon’ble PM @narendramodi to meet my 101-year-old Nanaji, ex-IFS officer, in Kuwait during tomorrow’s interaction with the Indian Diaspora. Nana @MangalSainHanda is a great admirer of yours. Details have been emailed to your office,” Juneja posted.
Humble request to Hon’ble PM @narendramodi to meet my 101-year-old Nanaji, ex-IFS officer, in Kuwait during tmrw’s interaction with the Indian Diaspora. Nana @MangalSainHanda is a great admirer of yours. Details have been emailed to your office 🙏
Cc: @PMOIndia @sjaishankaroffc— Shreya Juneja (@_ShreyaJuneja) December 20, 2024
To everyone’s delight, PM Modi responded positively, saying, “Absolutely! I look forward to meeting @MangalSainHanda Ji in Kuwait today.”
Absolutely! I look forward to meeting @MangalSainHanda Ji in Kuwait today. https://t.co/xswtQ0tfSY
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 21, 2024
The Ministry of External Affairs noted, “The Indian community is the largest expatriate community in Kuwait. The visit will provide an opportunity to further strengthen the multifaceted ties between India and Kuwait.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kuwait is a historic one, marking the first time an Indian Prime Minister has set foot in the country in 43 years. The last Indian PM to visit Kuwait was Indira Gandhi back in 1981, reported PTI.
However Dilip Handa, the son of 101-year-old former IFS officer Mangal Sain Handa, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Modi, saying their meeting was “an experience of a lifetime.”
He revealed that PM Modi told them he made it a point to meet his father during his visit to Kuwait, which made the encounter even more special, according to ANI.
#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets 101-year-old Ex-IFS officer Mangal Sain Handa in Kuwait City.
PM Modi is on a 2-day visit to Kuwait at the invitation of Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait. This is the first visit of an Indian… pic.twitter.com/T2qpgJm422
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2024
Kuwait is home to a substantial Indian community, making up 21 per cent of the country’s total population, with approximately 1 million Indians residing there. Furthermore, Indian workers comprise a significant 30% of Kuwait’s total workforce, numbering around 900,000 individuals.
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