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Prime Minister Narendra Modi. File pic/AP
Irshad Hussain Naikoo, who works at Anantnag farm in Kashmir, still remembers the day his gift was worn by the visiting Prime Minister of J&K on Thursday.
During his recent visit to Odisha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked a tailor to sew a kurta for him. With his visit to Kashmir scheduled for Thursday, here is a touching story about the pheran worn by the Prime Minister during the previous visit, which was gifted by a Kashmiri farmer.
Irshad Hussain Naikoo, a farm worker from Anantnag, Kashmir, had dreamed of meeting Narendra Modi since 2013. Despite her financial difficulties, her appreciation for Narendra Modi was so deep that she started saving money to buy him a gift.
After a few years of saving, he thought of different things to present to PM Modi. Finally, he decided to make a traditional dress, pheran, for the Prime Minister.
He carefully chose the fabric, but faced a problem – he didn’t know PM Modi’s measurements. He didn’t know what size the Prime Minister wore. Then it occurred to him that his father’s building was exactly the same as the Prime Minister’s. So, he took his father to the tailor to be measured and explained exactly how he wanted it done.
When the dress was ready, he started his journey from Anantnag to Delhi to deliver it. He even reached the gate of the Prime Minister’s residence. The security arrangements were so heavy that he could not enter. So he decided to return to Kashmir and send it by letter.
A few days later, he received an unexpected phone call. The person on the phone asked, “You got to the Prime Minister’s residence, didn’t you?” Irshad had sent a gift, including a letter with his full address and phone number. The call was from the Prime Minister’s office.
After asking about his details, the official of the Prime Minister’s Office told him, “The Prime Minister is wearing today the gift you sent him.” He is currently in Kashmir and addressing a rally in Srinagar wearing a pheran gifted by you.’
Irshad was in his fields when he got the call and couldn’t believe it. The Prime Minister was wearing the gift he had sent. Excited, she went home and asked her friend to check the event online. He was happy to see that the person he admired the most was indeed wearing a scarf.
Irshad still shares the memory of the day his gift was worn by the Prime Minister.