During his historic two-day visit to Kuwait, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met 101-year-old Mangal Sain Handa, a former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer. This special interaction was arranged following a heartfelt social media request by Handa’s granddaughter, Shreya Juneja.
PM Modi’s visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister to Kuwait in 43 years, came at the invitation of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Upon his arrival on Saturday, the Prime Minister engaged with members of the Indian community and visited a hotel where he met Handa.
The meeting was made possible after Shreya posted on X (formerly Twitter), expressing her grandfather’s admiration for the Prime Minister and requesting a meeting. “Humble request to Hon’ble PM @narendramodi to meet my 101-year-old Nanaji, ex-IFS officer, in Kuwait during tomorrow’s interaction with the Indian Diaspora,” she wrote, tagging PM Modi. Responding warmly, PM Modi confirmed, “Absolutely! I look forward to meeting @MangalSainHanda Ji in Kuwait today.”
Shreya expressed her gratitude, sharing that her grandfather was overjoyed by the gesture and describing it as a moment of immense pride for the family. PM Modi had previously sent a personal letter to Handa on his 100th birthday, recognizing his contributions to India’s diplomacy. Handa had responded by expressing admiration for PM Modi’s leadership and his pride in witnessing India’s progress.
PM Modi’s Kuwait itinerary also includes a visit to an Indian labor camp, interactions with the Indian diaspora, and attending the Gulf Cup football tournament’s opening ceremony. The last Indian Prime Minister to visit Kuwait was Indira Gandhi in 1981.
