San Jose: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today broke down and got emotional while talking about the sacrifices his mother made as he grew up.
65-year-old Modi displayed his rare emotional side when he was asked by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at a Town Hall event at the Facebook campus here to tell the audience something about his mother Heeraben Modi, who is now 95.
"We have many things in common. Family is very important to us. Both my parents are here. I understand your mother is very important in your life," Zuckerberg told the prime minister.
Modi was moved to tears while talking about the hardships his mother had to undergo while raising him.
"When we were small, to sustain us she cleaned dishes, fill water, did laborious work at the neighbouring houses. You can imagine a mother, in order to raise her kids, underwent so much hardships," Modi spoke haltingly as he tried to control his tears, amid a hushed silence at the event.
After a pause, he slowly regained his composure, observing, "It's not just the case with Narendra Modi, many mothers in India sacrifice their entire lives for their children."
"There are so many parents who have sacrificed their own lives to fulfil the dreams and aspirations of their children," he said.
"A mother will never want you to become something, she will think about how you will achieve that".
"I've my mother, who is over 90 years. Even today she does all her works on her own. She isn't educated but because of television she is updated with the news, what is happening in the world otherwise she didn't know."
Modi congratulated Zuckerberg's parents, saying their son has changed the world, as he asked them to stand up for everyone to see.
"My parents have played a very big role in my life, I come from a very poor family... you probably know that I used to sell tea at the railway station," he said.
"No one can imagine that such a big democracy of this world has made a tea seller it's leader. And therefore firstly I want to thank those 1.25 crore indians who made such an ordinary person like me their own."
PTI
Here are the highlights:
* PM Narendra Modi visits Google headquarters in California
* PM Modi meets Zuckerberg family at Facebook headquarters
* PM Narendra Modi writes 'Ahimsa paramo dharama', 'Satyamev Jayate' & 'Vande Mataram' on Facebook wall.
* PM Modi, Mark Zuckerberg conclude Q&A session at townhall
Also Read: Mark Zuckerberg changes profile photo to support Digital India
* When we were young, we used to do much to just get by. We used to do the neighbor's dishes, labor work: PM Modi
* My mother is not educated, but through TV she knows what's happening around World: PM Modi
* It's not just the case with Narendra Modi, many mothers in India sacrifice their entire lives for their children: PM Modi
* You can imagine what a mother had to do to raise her children: PM Modi breaks into tears while speaking of his mother's struggle
* Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's parents stand up to a round of applause from the audience.
* It's hard to believe that a tea seller can become the leader of World's largest democracy,I salute 125 crore Indian citizens: PM Modi
* I want to congratulate Mark's parents for having given birth to such a wonderful person, please stand up: PM Modi
* My parents played a very big role in my life,I come from a poor family,you probably know that I used to sell tea at railway station: PM Modi
* I know your mother is very important for you. My parents are here today as well to see this program: Mark Zuckerberg to PM Modi
* If we imprison 50% of our population, the female power, it wont work. They must have 100% partnership: PM Modi
* India is the only country which has female Goddesses-Durga, Kali, Amba. Fundamental values show that women have an imp place: PM Modi
* Women Rights' Activist Ranjana Kumari at Facebook Headquarters for Townhall Q&A
* I have added another 'D- Deregularization' to 3Ds: PM Modi
* Three Ds are Democracy, Demography and demand: PM Modi
* I believe 'Make In India' will be successful, we have certain assets other countries don't have;3Ds our unique strength: PM Modi
* 65% of India's population is below 35 years of age,we have a vibrant judiciary and a vibrant media: PM Narendra Modi
* I think there's a huge potential, in last 15 months we have had foreign direct investment from USA growing by 87%: PM Modi
* It's important for us to have effective and easy governance, for that technology is very important: PM Modi
* There are so many countries who do not know where to invest their money. I am giving them an address, Here it is!: PM Modi
* It's importance for us to have effective and easy governance, for that technology is very important: PM Modi
* We have about 250 panchayats, what I hope is that in next 5 years we will be able to link these villages through optical fibre: PM Modi
* We are now placing a lot of priority on technology. To have economic, easy governance. for all these things technology is very important: PM Modi
* It's true that in India we have to focus on two things equally, one is physical infrastructure and other is digital infrastructure: PM Modi
* You'll be surprised to know, I greeted their PM on his birthday, it was news for people there (China) and it went viral: PM Modi
* Social media can tell Govt where it's going wrong, gives them opportunity for cross correction, this is strength of democracy: PM Modi
* I wasn't fortunate enough to get knowledge, wasnt educated enough. But I think social media made up for that a lot: PM Modi
* Govt can use real time information to speed up their work and be proactive and take decisions: PM Modi
* In China social media has a different structure,but I'm active there as well, where I communicate in Chinese: PM Modi
* Impressed with PM Modi using social media to connect with citizens of India, like he is setting an eg for world leaders: Mark Zuckerberg
* When World accepts you for what you are, nothing is more satisfying than that, also helps you to progress ahead: PM Modi
* The most important thing for any individual is that you are accepted for what you are: PM Modi
* When I adopted social media it was because I was curious about technology: PM Modi
* When I went there, seeing how people connected reinforced for me the importance of what we were doing: Mark Zuckerberg
* He told us that in order to reconnect with the mission of the company, I should go to a temple in India which he had gone to: Mark Zuckerberg
* India is personally very important to the history of our company. Early on before things were going well, we saw Steve Jobs: Mark Zuckerberg
* I need to focus on agricultural, service and manufacturing sector to achieve that: PM Modi
* You are associated with the service sector, and I have seen the power of it: PM Modi to Zuckerberg
* If you look at tourism for example, India has tremendous potential. Technology has really helped the industry and has brought the world together: PM
* In the last 1-1.5 years, the perception of India has changed a lot: PM Modi
* India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Today we are an 8 trillion dollar economy. Our goal is to become a $ 20 trillion economy: PM Modi
* I hope you will be the voice of millions,billions of people all across the World:PM Modi to Mark Zuckerberg
* I am happy that I am connecting with you (Mark Zuckerberg) today, the person responsible for everyone over the world connecting: PM Modi
* Last time PM of India visited California was in 1982, a lot has changed since then: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
* We had a great conversation last year in Delhi: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to PM Modi
* 1982 was the last time an Indian PM visited California: Mark Zuckerberg
* Mark Zuckerberg hosts townhall regularly at Facebook headquarters to answer questions.
* PM Narendra Modi arrives at Facebook HQ in Menlo Park, California
* PM Modi reaches Facebook headquarters
* I changed my DP in support of the efforts towards a Digital India, says PM Narendra Modi through his Facebook profile
* I changed my profile picture to support Digital India: Mark Zuckerberg
Ahead of the proposed meeting Zuckerberk changed his profile picture in support of Digital India initiative.
In a Facebook post, Zuckerberg said, “I changed my profile picture to support Digital India, the Indian government's effort to connect rural communities to the internet and give people access to more services online. Looking forward to discussing this with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Facebook today. Show your support for Digital India at fb.com/supportdigitalindia.”
PM, on a six-day trip to US, also met CEOs of top tech companies to pitch for his flagship initiative Digital India.
Also Read: 'Digital India', an enterprise to transform India: PM Modi
Top CEOs of American companies have endorsed ambitious 'Digital India' programme, describing it as a vision that would bring India technologically at par.
