At Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthplace, Vadnagar, in the Mehsana district, on Sunday morning, political leaders from different parties, local residents, and school students gathered to pray with his mother, Hiraba.
Hiraba died at the UN Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Center in Ahmedabad on December 30. She turned 99. On December 30, her funeral was held in Gandhinagar, where PM Modi and his family were also present.
At the prayer meeting, which was held at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya auditorium in Vadnagar, were PM Modi’s brothers Somabhai, Amrutbhai, Prahladbhai, and Pankajbhai, as well as his sister Vasantiben.
Balwantsinh Rajput, who is the Minister for Industries in Gujarat, also joined the group in Vadnagar, where Hiraba lived for most of her life. Other BJP leaders who paid tribute to Hiraba were Gujarat Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary, former deputy CM Nitin Patel, former home minister Pradeepsinh Jadeja, former roads and buildings minister Purnesh Modi, MP from Ahmedabad West Kirit Solanki, MLA from Thakkarbapanagar Kanchanben Radadiya, former ministers of state Mayaben Kodnani and Nirmala Wadhwani, former Assembly
The president of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), Jagdish Thakor, was also at the prayer meeting.
Purnesh Modi, an MLA for the BJP in Surat West, said, “I pay my respects on behalf of the whole Modh and Modi community. All of the Modis in the state and country are saddened by Hiraba’s death.”
Sanjay Joshi said, “Hiraba lived a simple, devoted, and saatwik (good) life, and he set a good example for the country and society.”
Several religious leaders also came to pay their respects, which shows how much she was loved, said state’s former Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel. “Her simple life and dedication to her family and relationships is an example to the society,” he added.
Yusuf Khan Pathan, 60, was Hiraba’s neighbour and went to the prayer meeting with about 30 other people. He told The Indian Express, “We lived together for a long time, and we feel lucky to have known such a wonderful person as Hiraba.”
Hiraba is survived by his daughter Vasantiben and his five sons, including Prime Minister Modi and his brothers Somabhai, Amrutbhai, Prahladbhai, and Pankajbhai.
As he and his brothers said her last rites, the Prime Minister said, “A glorious century lies at God’s feet. I saw three things in Mother: the journey of a tapasvi (a saint), the work of a selfless worker, and a life devoted to values.
