Omkar Dattatray
The mother Heeraben Modi of our beloved prime minister has departed from this mortal world at the close of the year at the age of 100.It is a shock to the PM Modi as he loved and respected his mother most and is proud of his mother. All the political parties and the common people of the country are grieved over the passing away of the mother of our prime minister. The world leaders including American president Geo Bidden has condoled the death of Heeraben Modi and expressed sympathy with Modi at this hour of grief. Heeraben Modi was an ordinary woman with extra -ordinary qualities. She was the embodiment of simplicity and selflessness and had experienced poverty in her life and reared her children very carefully and affectionately amid want, poverty and deprivation. Prime Minister Modi has himself stated that his mother used to clean the utensils and swept the houses of others for earning some money and used it for defraying household expenses.
Heeraben used to work hard with her sweat and blood and brought up his children including Modi as her husband worked in a tea stall in railway station for eking out his livelihood and Modi also helped his father at the tea shop. But despite penury Heeraben gave best education to Modi and other children and shaped their personalities. What Narendra Modi is today is because of the hardwork and upbringing of him by his mother and family.
In the shaping of the personality of Modi,the contribution of his mother was very great and cannot be exaggerated.
Heeraben was the ordinary women who had given birth to his son Modi who later on became the chief minister of Gujarat for 14 long years from 2001 to 2014 and then became the prime minister of the country for two consecutive terms. Heeraben is the mother of this world leader who has carved a niche for himself and for India in the comity of nations.
It is because of the upbringing of Modi and because of the lessons of selfless service and distance from corruption by his mother Heeraben that we have such a brave heart and Karamyogi as our prime minister. In making and moulding of the personality of Modi, the role of his mother is enviable and it would not have been possible for him to occupy the top post of the country without the role and hard work and the lessons of simplicity and spirituality.
Though Heeraben had not seen the school and had no formal education but she was well versed in the stories of Ramayan and Mahabartha and used to tell Modi stories from these scriptures.
She was unlettered but surpassed those who had formal degrees. Her personality had a profound influence and impact on shaping and moulding the personality of Narendra Damodardas Modi and without the inspiration and guidance and counseling of Heeraben, Modi could not have touched such heights in his political carrier. The blessings of Heeraben were always on Modi and she will continue to shower her blessings upon Modi from heaven. Heeraben was an epitome of simplicity, cleanliness, hard work and selfless service and she never differentiated between the people on the basis of religion. In the words of Modi, she treated a Muslim boy Abass with same love and affection which Heeraben showered upon her own children and never made any difference on the basis of faith. In fact what Modi is today is because of his mother who was very dear to Modi. Heeraben was so simple that even after Modi became the Prime Minister,she refused to have some new or other accommodation and continued to use her old room. After Modi became the chief minister of Gujarat, he wanted to honor his mother formally but she declined it saying that she is an ordinary women. This was her greatness, simplicity and non attachment.She was rightly a great women which gave India a prime minister who Indianised political narrative and who changed the destiny of the country by his innovative bent of mind and scientific outlook.PM Modi loved and respected his mother very much and always visited her to get her blessings.He had profound love and respect for his mother and he was really very proud of his mother for her simple living and high thinking. Heeraben was so simple that she did not adore herself with gold and silver ornaments and it shows that she did not attach any importance to outer beauty but believed in inner beauty which is the real beauty and ornament. PM Modi’s bond with his mother reminds us of a timeless and bondless love which only a mother can share with her sons and daughters. Prime minister’s mother Heeraben breathed her last at the age of 100 years and it is no less than a miracle that she was hale and hearty till last and she is an inspiration for corers of Indian’s and will remain an inspiration to people even after her demise because such a great soul remains to inspire and guide us from heavens. On her death Prime minister Modi wrote, “In Maa I have always felt that trinity which contains the journey of an ascetic, the symbol of a selfless Karamyogi and a life committed to values.” When I met her on her 100th birthday, she said one thing.”always remembered -work with intelligence ,live life with purity” he further added.PM Modi tweeted on the demise of his mother Heeraben,” A glorious century rests at Gods feet.He recalled his meeting with his mother on her 100th birthday when she told him,” work with wisdom and live with purity.” The last few days of her life she spent at the house of her other son Pankaj Modi.PM Modi penned down his emotional tribute to his late mother Heeraben,” A symbol of selfless Karmayogi.”In June this year, Modi penned a heartfelt tribute to his mother on her 100th birthday on his blog. He wrote the early struggle his mother faced, and how she coasted through the vicissitudes of life without ever compromising her principles of humility and self respect. He described his mother as a ”simple and extraordinary” who never gave in to the lure of materialism. He also reveal that his mother had no assets to her name and he had never seen her wear any gold ornaments.Modi wrote in a blog as follows,When Narendra Modi wanted to felicitate Heeraben as a teacher of his life ,after he became the chief minister of Gujarat,Heeraben declined.HeerabenModi’s life is devoted to values and selflessness. Maa Heeraben-In this short word lies the vastness /comprehensibility of love. There is the culmination of love inside her or we can say that she is the culmination of complete love. For Modi family mother Heeraben was the strength, energy,love,compassion and was synonymous with affection. She was not only the birth giver but also the life maker.She was the basis of the development of not only Narendra Modi but the entire family.She has woven the fabric of this family with her own hands. Constant progressive and cultural changes were made in the shape type, lifestyle, thinking, and mind of this family.It was the mother, the mother who changed both the fortune and picture of this family. In fact Heeraben created a world hero and leader in Narendra Modi is an irreparable loss, a trauma not only for his son but for the entire nation is what Lalit Garg said on the demise of Heeraben. In brief we can say that Heeraben was an embodiment of simplicity, selflessness and cleanliness who will continue to inspire millions of Indian’s for many years. Heeraben is certainly a divine soul and she will have a place in heaven.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist).
