The man said he had followed the prime minister on social media for the past four years. (FILE)
udhampur:
Fahim Nazir Shah is walking from Srinagar to Delhi, hoping that his approximately 815 km journey will catch the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that he will have the chance to meet him.
“I am a very big fan of Prime Minister Modi,” said the 28-year-old, who works as a part-time electrician in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, when he reached Udhampur on Sunday after a walk of more than 200 km.
Mr Shah, a resident of the Shalimar area of Srinagar, is taking short breaks during his journey, which started two days ago, and believes that at the end of this arduous journey, his dream of meeting the Prime Minister will be fulfilled.
“I am on foot to Delhi to meet him (Modi) and I hope to catch the Prime Minister’s attention. Meeting the Prime Minister is my cherished dream,” he said, adding that his previous attempts to meet the Prime Minister PM did not bear fruit.
Shah said he has followed the prime minister on social media for the past four years and that his speech and actions “touched my heart”.
“At one point, when he was giving a speech at a rally, he suddenly stopped hearing the ”azaan” (Muslim call to prayer) leaving the audience in amazement… that gesture by our Prime Minister touched my heart and I became his ardent fan,” he said.
Mr Shah said he has made several attempts to meet Prime Minister Modi in Delhi over the past two and a half years. “During the Prime Minister’s last visit to Kashmir, the security personnel did not allow me to meet him,” he said.
“This time I’m sure I’ll get the chance to meet the Prime Minister,” Shah said.
Asked about the change in Jammu and Kashmir after its special status was abolished in 2019 and made from a state into Union territory, he said the change is visible because Prime Minister Modi has focused on Jammu and Kashmir.
“There is a change in the situation, development activities are proceeding at a good pace and the Union Territory is marching forward,” he said.
Mr Shah said he would like to discuss the problems of the educated and unemployed youth with the Prime Minister and the development of the industrial sector in the Union Territory.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NewsMadura staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)
