The Hindu : National : To friend with love

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 19, 2004

National

National

To friend with love

By Aarti Dhar

A SPECIAL ONE: Raja Ashiq Hussain of Pakistan shows the special shoes that he has brought for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Sunday. — Photo: V. Sudershan

NEW DELHI, JULY 18 . Mohammad Khan, who had studied with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in school, has sent a special pair of `jootis' (shoes) for his friend from Pakistan. Mr. Khan, a cobbler, studied with Dr. Singh in the only Government Primary School then at Gah village in Chakwal.

Khan and his sons have made the `jootis' with fine gold thread embroidery. The `jooti' is worth about Rs. 3,000, says Raja Ashiq Hussain, who has brought it. Mr. Hussain is part of a 29-member delegation of councillors that has arrived on a 10-day visit. Mr. Hussains's uncle, Raja Mohammad Ali, who was also in the same class of Dr. Singh and Mr. Khan has paid for the pair of `jootis.'

``We will be extremely happy if Dr. Singh accepts the gift as a small token of love from his villagers,'' Mr. Hussain said. The golden embroidery work was specially designed for Dr. Singh. ``We know Sardars in Punjab prefer to wear `jooti' that partly fold at the toe,'' he said.

Mr. Khan, Mr. Mohammad Ali and Dr. Singh were together in the school until Class IV. In 1941, Dr. Singh went for higher schooling in Rawalpindi and then came to India with his family after Partition.

According to Mr. Hussain, the last time the village heard of Dr. Singh was when he became the Finance Minister here. In May this year, two days after Dr. Singh was made the Prime Minister, a team of BBC reporters arrived at Gah and informed them that a person from their village had made it to the top post in India.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National