President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday visited his native village Paraunkh and in a rare and emotional gesture, bowed and touched the ground to pay obeisance to the land of his birth.
While addressing a Jan Abhinandan Samaroh in his village, the President remembered his background and said that Paraunkh was not just a village, but was his motherland, from where he drew inspiration.
“I had never imagined even in my dreams that an ordinary boy like me from the village would get the privilege of discharging the responsibilities of the highest office of the country. But our democratic system has shown this by doing it,” he said.
“The credit for where I have reached today goes to the soil of this village and the love and blessings of this region and all of you… The smell of the earth of my village and the memories of the residents are always present in my heart.
President Kovind was flanked by UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and state governor Anandiben Patel, both of who bowed their heads in a respectful gesture. The President took a bit of the soil and applied it on his forehead, supposedly as a sign of reverence for his native land.
Extending greetings to his fellow citizens, President Kovind said, “Today, on this occasion, I bow to the freedom fighters of the country and the drafting committee of the Constitution for their sacrifice and contribution. As far as I have reached today, the credit goes to the soil of this village and the love and blessings of all of you.”
Recalling his childhood and friends from the era, the President said that he was more than happy to come back to his native village. “Wherever you are, I am too,” he said, “I am only called the first citizen as the President.” Earlier, it would have been difficult to get out of this village but not so now, the President added, hailing the democratic system of the country which, as he put it, has opened a way forward for everyone, irrespective of their status at birth, to achieve important milestones.
