Modi reunites Nepali 'dharmaputra' with his family: Who is Jeet Bahadur?

Narendra Modi’s visit to Nepal - the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 17 years - is being seen as a diplomatic push by India, in a bid to strengthen ties and counter China’s growing influence in the Himalayan nation. However the Indian Prime Minister also has a personal agenda it seems. A series of tweets from Modi has revealed that he would be taking a boy he has been supporting for years back to his parents. Modi was successful in his agenda. The Hindustan Times reported “it was an emotional moment at Hotel Hyatt Residency in Kathmandu on Sunday afternoon as Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over his ‘godson’ Jeet Bahadur Saru Magar to his parents.” “…Long back, I met a young, helpless boy named Jeet Bahadur who had no idea about his whereabouts and also did not understand language properly… Inspired by the almighty, I started worrying about his future and soon he developed an interest in studies and also started understanding Gujarati…,” Modi said. https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/495553329745756160 https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/495553746248540160 https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/495554609440493568 [caption id=“attachment_1646779” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Narendra Modi pictured with his ‘Nepali godson’ Jeet Bahadur[/caption] Some time back, he managed to find Bahadur’s parents and said it was all possible because the boy has six toes on his feet. “I am glad that I will hand over their son to them tomorrow (Sunday),” he added. The Hindustan Times has more details on Bahadur. According to the report: Jeet, 27, had left his home in Nawalparasi district of Nepal along with his elder brother Dasrath in 1998 to earn a living in India. Dasrath had already been working as a domestic help at a house in Delhi and soon Jeet also started working in another place. But unable to cope with hard work, he fled to Rajasthan. There too he failed to find a ‘good home’ and left. With the intention of returning home, he got into a train he hoped will take him to Gorakhpur, the town in Uttar Pradesh on the Indo-Nepal border. But instead, he boarded a wrong train that went to Ahmedabad. A report in India Today said Bahadur’s family were excited about the premier’s upcoming visit to the Himalayan country. Bahadur, who comes from a poor family, is pursuing a BBA in Ahmedabad courtesy of Modi, who is paying for his education and stay. The report also quoted Bahadur’s mother as saying, “Bahadur’s mother says though she gave birth to the boy, it was Modi who brought him up. Bahadur’s family belongs to Kavasati Lokaha village in Navalparasi district of Nepal. Another report said that Bahadur’s family live in a slum area in Kawasoti Municipality in Nawalparasi district in western Nepal.

It added that Indian Embassy officials in Kathmandu earlier visited the family in Kawasoti and informed them about Modi’s visit and his desire to meet them. Their photographs and citizenship certificates have also been collected, the media reports said. “Modi wanted to unite Jeet Bahadur with his family members in his presence,” the report quoted Bahadur’s brother as saying.