The meeting was made possible after Handa’s granddaughter Shreya Juneja made a heartfelt request to the Prime Minister through a social media post.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met 101-year-old retired Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Mangal Sain Handa during his visit to Kuwait on Saturday. The meeting was made possible after Handa’s granddaughter Shreya Juneja made a heartfelt request to the Prime Minister through a social media post.
Shreya Juneja wrote, “Kindly request Hon’ble PM @narendramodi to meet my 101-year-old Nanaji, ex-IFS officer, tomorrow in Kuwait for an interaction with the Indian diaspora.” To his delight, Mr. Modi responded in the affirmative, tweeting, “Of course! Looking forward to meeting @MangalSainHanda ji in Kuwait today.”
Absolutely! I look forward to meeting you @MangalSainHanda Live in Kuwait today. https://t.co/xswtQ0tfSY
– Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 21, 2024
Handa, who has served in countries like Iraq, Kuwait, China, Argentina, UK and Cambodia in her excellent career, was very happy with the meeting. His son, Dilip Handa, described it as an “experience of a lifetime”, expressing his gratitude to the Prime Minister for the special gesture.
# Look | Prime Minister Narendra Modi met 101-year-old former IFS officer Mangal Sain Handa in Kuwait City.
Prime Minister Modi is on a 2-day visit to Kuwait at the invitation of the Emir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Mesal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. This is the first visit by an Indian… pic.twitter.com/T2qpgJm422
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2024
Modi, the first Prime Minister after becoming the Prime Minister, is currently on a two-day visit to Kuwait. This is the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to the Gulf nation in 43 years. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited Kuwait in 1981. His visit underscores the importance of strengthening India-Kuwait ties, especially with the presence of nearly one million Indians in Kuwait, the country’s largest expatriate community.
During the visit, Prime Minister Modi interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed ways to strengthen the multifaceted relationship between the two nations. The visit, at the invitation of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Mesal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, marks an important step in enhancing bilateral relations.