The life of Heeraben Modi: Source of PM Modi’s inspiration and her early struggles

New Delhi, Dec 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a blog post had recalled the life and struggles of his mother Heeraben Modi who passed away at the age of 99 today.

On her birthday this year, the PM spoke very highly of his mother and recalled her early struggles, principles which had stood the test of time. He also mentioned one incident in which he wanted to facilitate his mother as a teacher. He recalled that his mother had declined this while describing herself as an ordinary person who gave birth to him while God brought him up.

PM Modi's blog on his mother Heeraben Modi:

"Today, I feel extremely happy and fortunate to share that my mother Smt. Heeraba Modi is entering her hundredth year. This is going to be her birth centenary year." wrote PM Modi on June 18 this year.

A symbol of resilience

Recalling hardships his mother faced during her childhood, PM Modi said, "My Mother is as simple as she is extraordinary. Just like all mothers." At a tender age, PM Modi's mother lost her mother. He said, "She does not even remember my grandmother's face or the comfort of her lap. She spent her entire childhood without her mother."

He recalled the tiny house in Vadnagar with mud walls and clay tiles for a roof where he stayed with his parents and siblings. He mentioned innumerable everyday adversities that his mother encountered and successfully overcame.

He mentioned how his mother not only did all household chores by herself but also worked to supplement the meagre household income. She used to wash utensils at a few houses and take out time to spin the charkha to help meet the household expenses.

PM Modi reminisced "During the rains, our roof would leak, and the house would flood. Mother would place buckets and utensils below the leaks to collect the rainwater. Even in this adverse situation, Mother would be a symbol of resilience".

Deep respect for those engaged in cleanliness.

Finding happiness in others' joys:

PM Modi mentioned that his mother would find happiness in other people's joys and was extremely large hearted. He recalled "A close friend of my father used to stay in a nearby village. After his untimely death, my father brought his friend's son, Abbas, to our home. He stayed with us and completed his studies. Mother was as affectionate and caring towards Abbas just like she did for all of us siblings. Every year on Eid, she used to prepare his favourite dishes. On festivals, it was commonplace for neighbourhood kids to come to our house and enjoy Mother's special preparations."

PM Modi's mother has publicly accompanied him on only two occasions

In the blog post, PM Modi highlighted the only two instances when his mother accompanied him publicly. Once, it was at a public function in Ahmedabad when she applied tilak on his forehead after he had returned from Srinagar where he had hoisted the national flag at Lal Chowk completing the Ekta Yatra. The second instance was when PM Modi first took oath as Gujarat's Chief Minister in 2001.

A life lesson PM Modi's mother taught him:

PM Modi wrote that his mother made him realise that it was possible to be learned without being formally educated. He shared an incident when he wanted to publicly honour all his teachers, including his biggest teacher - his mother. However, his mother declined saying, "See, I am an ordinary person. I may have given birth to you, but you have been taught and brought up by the Almighty."

PM Modi further added that though his mother did not come to the event, she made sure that he called someone from Jethabhai Joshi Ji's family - his local teacher, who taught him alphabets. "Her thought process and farsighted thinking have always surprised me," he said in the blogpost.