Kuwait City: The Indian community gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi a rousing reception as he arrived at his hotel in Kuwait City on Saturday afternoon, shortly after he touched down in the Gulf nation. This kicked off his historic two-day visit, the first by an Indian PM to the country in 43 years.
Among those who met Prime Minister Modi warmly was 101-year-old Mangal Sain Handa, a former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer who now resides in Kuwait and (had) served in Kuwait, the United Kingdom, Iraq, China, Argentina, and Cambodia before retiring about four decades ago.
PM Modi not only exchanged greetings with Handa but also posed for photos with his family.
On Friday, Handa’s granddaughter, Shreya Juneja, posted a message for PM Modi requesting that he meet her grandfather during his visit to Kuwait.
On Saturday, just before he boarded Air India One, Prime Minister Modi, who enjoys a massive following not just in the country but all over the world and loves to personalise his engagement with the Indian diaspora during foreign visits, responded to Juneja’s social media post.
“Absolutely! I look forward to meeting Mangal Sain Handa Ji in Kuwait today,” wrote PM Modi.
The Prime Minister also received copies of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, translated into Arabic by Abdullah Baron and published by Abdullateef Alnesef.
The Indian community, Kuwait’s largest expatriate group, continues to play a pivotal role in strengthening bilateral relations.
In his departure statement on Saturday, PM Modi mentioned that his visit would be an opportunity to chalk out a roadmap for a futuristic partnership that would benefit people and the region.
“I eagerly look forward to meeting the Indian diaspora in Kuwait who have immensely contributed to the strengthening of bonds of friendship between the two nations,” said Prime Minister Modi.
During his two-day visit to the West Asian nation, the Prime Minister is also scheduled to interact with the Indian diaspora at a community event and visit a labour camp.
–IANS
