Pak friend to gift 110-year-old family heirloom "lachcha" to Mohna

Amritsar May 24, : Raja Ali Muhammad from Gah in Chakwal district of Pakistan is going to gift 110-years old lachcha (shawl) from family heirloom to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Muhammad has also brought two embroidered salwar kameez suits and chakwali jutti (Golden Punjabi slippers) for Gursharan Kaur, wife of Dr. Manmohan Singh.

In a special interaction with students and staff of the DAV Public School today at school premises here, Muhammad unpacked and showed photographs of Katasraj Shrines and Village Gah that he wanted to gift to Dr. Singh

"I have come with only one wish in my heart to meet my childhood classmate Dr. Singh and invite him to his ancestral village of Gah in Pakistan.

He said that the entire village is eagerly waiting for Dr. singh's visit and wanted to accord him a royal welcome.

On a query, Muhammad said that he was not able to come earlier because of visa hassles.

Students enjoyed his little anecdotes about life in the village where he studied with Dr. Singh lovingly called "Mohna" by all their friends.

Muhammad said every year by all means he used to travel from his village, which is 67 Kms away to meet the Indian jatha that arrived at Katasraj, in order to see someone from the city of Amritsar -- the hometown of Dr. Singh, and loved to bring fruits and famous' rewari' of the region for the travellers.

He told the students that earlier he sent a pair of "Chakwali tilley wali juttis" for the Prime Minister with the Pakistan delegation to India and said the whole village was excited to receive a letter from Dr. Singh who acknowledged receiving the juttis and a laminated school registration record from them.

Talking about why he brought the "mitti" (soil) and water from village Gah, Muhammad said he wanted to carry a special gift that gave the "whiff" of childhood memories to the Prime Minister and what better than the soil of the place one is born in and played with.

He hoped that his visit to India and his dream to meet his classmate would help in bringing India and Pakistan closer. BY Ravinder Singh Robin

ANI