Sun Dec 22 02:53:04 UTC 2024: ## Modi Meets Centenarian Ex-IFS Officer in Historic Kuwait Visit
**Kuwait City** – Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landmark two-day visit to Kuwait, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 43 years, included a heartwarming meeting with 101-year-old Mangal Sain Handa, a former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer. The meeting, arranged after a social media appeal by Handa’s granddaughter, Shreya Juneja, underscored the personal touch of Modi’s trip.
Juneja’s X (formerly Twitter) post requesting a meeting between her grandfather – a self-described admirer of the Prime Minister – and Modi was swiftly answered. Modi confirmed the meeting, stating, “Absolutely! I look forward to meeting @MangalSainHanda Ji in Kuwait today.”
The emotional encounter took place at a hotel during Modi’s visit, which also included interactions with the Indian community and a visit to an Indian labour camp. Modi’s Kuwait trip, at the invitation of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, marks a significant milestone in bilateral relations.
Handa, who previously received a personal birthday letter from Modi last year, expressed his profound gratitude for the meeting. His granddaughter also shared her joy and appreciation for the Prime Minister’s gesture. The meeting serves as a poignant reminder of the personal connections that shaped Modi’s visit, which also included attending the opening ceremony of the Gulf Cup football tournament. The last Indian Prime Minister to visit Kuwait was Indira Gandhi in 1981.
First Piper 