PM reunites Nepalese youth with parents after 16 years

In a special humanitarian gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today personally handed over a Nepalese youth to his parents here having nurtured him for 16 years.

26-year-old Jeet Bahadur, who is currently pursuing BBA in Ahmedabad, had come to India in 1998 along with his brother looking for work like many other migrants from Nepal.

Bahadur came in contact with Modi in Ahmedabad over a decade back and was since looked after by him. He travelled with Prime Minister Modi to Kathmandu to be personally handed over to his mother and elder brother.

At the hotel where the Indian delegation is staying, Prime Minister Modi met Bahadur's family members who have moved here from their native place Kawasoti in Nawalparasi district in western Nepal where they live in a slum area.

His family members include his mother Khagisara, elder brother Dasharath, his wife and younger sister Prem Kumari.

"Bringing a family together! @PMOIndia 1st engagement in Nepal was to bring together Jeet Bahadur's family," Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Syed Akbaruddin tweeted along with a photograph of the Prime Minister with Bahadur's family.

After coming to India with his elder brother, Bahadur worked in Rajasthan for a brief period. However, after sometime he decided to return to Nepal as he was unhappy with his job.

While leaving Rajasthan, he mistakenly boarded an Ahmedabad-bound train instead of one going to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, which borders Nepal.

On arriving in Ahmedabad, a woman took him to the house of Modi who had till then not become the Chief Minister. Since then, Bahadur had been in Modi's care.

However, after Modi became the Prime Minister and moved to Delhi, Bahadur shifted to the university hostel.

Indian Embassy officials in Kathmandu earlier visited Bahadur's family in Kawasoti and informed them about Modi's visit and his desire to meet them.

On the eve of his two-day trip yesterday, Modi had tweeted, "On a personal note, my Nepal visit is very special...Some personal emotions are also attached to this visit."

In a series of tweets, Modi said he met Bahadur years back in a helpless condition and narrated some subsequent developments.

"Years back, I met a child Jeet Bahadur in a helpless condition. He knew nothing, where to go, what to do. He did not know anybody, nor did he understand the language," he said.

"Guided by God, I started thinking about him. Gradually, he developed interest in studies and playing. He also learned Gujrati language," he said.

Modi said sometime back, he was able to locate Bahadur's parents. "This was possible because he (Bahadur) has six fingers in his foot," he tweeted.

"Thankfully, we were able to locate his parents. I am glad that tomorrow the parents would be reunited with their son," the Prime Minister said.