NEW DELHI: When PM Narendra Modi addressed a poll rally in Srinagar on Thursday, he wore " pheran ", which had a riveting tale of an Anantnag-based farmer gifting him the traditional Kashmiri robe .
Irshad Hussain Naikoo, a farmer from Anantnag, recalled how he overcame obstacles to weave a pheran for his "ideal" leader, and the joy he felt when PM Modi wore it at an event in Srinagar. Naikoo dreamt of meeting PM Modi since 2013. Despite his financial hardships, he always wanted to give something special to the PM.
In a video message, he said: "I admired Narendra Modi for a long time and wanted to meet him. In 2013, I started saving money to buy him a gift. After a few years, I decided to make a pheran, the traditional Kashmiri dress , for the PM." "I bought a good fabric with the money I had saved. But there was a challenge-I didn't know PM Modi's measurements. Then it came to my mind that my father has a similar build. So, I took my father to the tailor. With his measurements, I explained exactly how I wanted the pheran to be made," he said.
After stitching the pheran, he headed to Delhi, though unsure whether he would be able to deliver. "I went to the PM's residence, but couldn't get past the security. So, I returned to Kashmir and decided to send the pheran by courier," he added.
A few days later, while working in his fields, he received an unexpected call. The caller asked for his details and inquired if he had visited the PM's residence.
He further recalled: "The caller informed me that he was from the PMO and told me that PM Modi was wearing the pheran I had gifted him. In fact, the PM had arrived in Kashmir to address a rally, wearing the very pheran I had sent."
Irshad Hussain Naikoo, a farmer from Anantnag, recalled how he overcame obstacles to weave a pheran for his "ideal" leader, and the joy he felt when PM Modi wore it at an event in Srinagar. Naikoo dreamt of meeting PM Modi since 2013. Despite his financial hardships, he always wanted to give something special to the PM.
In a video message, he said: "I admired Narendra Modi for a long time and wanted to meet him. In 2013, I started saving money to buy him a gift. After a few years, I decided to make a pheran, the traditional Kashmiri dress , for the PM." "I bought a good fabric with the money I had saved. But there was a challenge-I didn't know PM Modi's measurements. Then it came to my mind that my father has a similar build. So, I took my father to the tailor. With his measurements, I explained exactly how I wanted the pheran to be made," he said.
After stitching the pheran, he headed to Delhi, though unsure whether he would be able to deliver. "I went to the PM's residence, but couldn't get past the security. So, I returned to Kashmir and decided to send the pheran by courier," he added.
A few days later, while working in his fields, he received an unexpected call. The caller asked for his details and inquired if he had visited the PM's residence.
He further recalled: "The caller informed me that he was from the PMO and told me that PM Modi was wearing the pheran I had gifted him. In fact, the PM had arrived in Kashmir to address a rally, wearing the very pheran I had sent."
