Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother Heeraben, who was hospitalised a couple of days ago, passed away in Ahmedabad early Friday.
How PM Modi reacted to death of his mother
"When I met her on her 100th birthday, she said one thing, which is always remembered that work with intelligence, live life with purity," PM Modi tweeted.
"A glorious century rests at the feet of God... In Maa I have always felt that trinity, which contains the journey of an ascetic, the symbol of a selfless Karmayogi and a life committed to values," PM Modi's tweet read.
PM Mod has been very close to his mother. He never shied away from expressing his love and respect for her. On her 100th birthday, PM Modi washed her feet seeking blessings from her.
The UN Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre, where she has been getting treatment, released a statement regarding her death.
Hiraben, also called Hiraba, lived at Raysan village near Gandhinagar city with PM Modi's younger brother Pankaj Modi.
The prime minister regularly visited Raysan and spent time with his mother during most of his Gujarat visits.
“My Mother is as simple as she is extraordinary,” PM Modi’s emotional blog on her 100th birthday
PM Modi dedicated a blog to his mother, underlining her sacrifices. "Today, I feel extremely happy and fortunate to share that my mother Smt. Heeraba Modi is entering her hundredth year. This is going to be her birth centenary year.” wrote PM Modi.
A symbol of resilience
Recalling hardships his mother faced during her childhood, PM Modi said, “My Mother is as simple as she is extraordinary. Just like all mothers.” At a tender age, PM Modi’s mother lost her mother. He said, “She does not even remember my grandmother’s face or the comfort of her lap. She spent her entire childhood without her mother.”
He recalled the tiny house in Vadnagar with mud walls and clay tiles for a roof where he stayed with his parents and siblings. He mentioned innumerable everyday adversities that his mother encountered and successfully overcame.
Also Read: PM Modi visits mother Heeraben Modi in Gandhinagar ahead of Gujarat election second phase | WATCH
He mentioned how his mother not only did all household chores by herself but also worked to supplement the meagre household income. She used to wash utensils at a few houses and take out time to spin the charkha to help meet the household expenses.
PM Modi reminisced “During the rains, our roof would leak, and the house would flood. Mother would place buckets and utensils below the leaks to collect the rainwater. Even in this adverse situation, Mother would be a symbol of resilience”.
Deep respect for those engaged in cleanliness
Cleanliness, PM Modi said, was something that his mother had always been extremely particular about. He shared several instances which gave a glimpse of his mother being very particular about maintaining cleanliness.
PM Modi said that his mother had a deep respect for those involved in cleaning and sanitation. Whenever someone would come to clean the drain adjacent to their house in Vadnagar, his mother wouldn’t let them go without giving them tea.
Finding happiness in others’ joys
PM Modi mentioned that his mother would find happiness in other people’s joys and was extremely large hearted. He recalled “A close friend of my father used to stay in a nearby village. After his untimely death, my father brought his friend’s son, Abbas, to our home. He stayed with us and completed his studies. Mother was as affectionate and caring towards Abbas just like she did for all of us siblings. Every year on Eid, she used to prepare his favourite dishes. On festivals, it was commonplace for neighbourhood kids to come to our house and enjoy Mother’s special preparations.”
PM Modi’s mother has publicly accompanied him on only two occasions
In the blog post, PM Modi highlighted the only two instances when his mother accompanied him publicly. Once, it was at a public function in Ahmedabad when she applied tilak on his forehead after he had returned from Srinagar where he had hoisted the national flag at Lal Chowk completing the Ekta Yatra. The second instance was when PM Modi first took oath as Gujarat’s Chief Minister in 2001.
A life lesson PM Modi’s mother taught him
PM Modi wrote that his mother made him realise that it was possible to be learned without being formally educated. He shared an incident when he wanted to publicly honour all his teachers, including his biggest teacher – his mother. However, his mother declined saying, “See, I am an ordinary person. I may have given birth to you, but you have been taught and brought up by the Almighty.”
PM Modi further added that though his mother did not come to the event, she made sure that he called someone from Jethabhai Joshi Ji’s family – his local teacher, who taught him alphabets. “Her thought process and farsighted thinking have always surprised me,” he said.
