New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) Though he has met Prime Minister Narendra Modi only thrice in the last 13 years, Prahlad Modi enjoys a healthy relationship with his elder brother. He is hoping the Narendra Modi government will sort out the problems dogging Public Distribution System (PDS) shopowners like him in India.
Prahlad, two years younger than Narendra Modi, who is 64, was in the national capital to participate in a protest organised to highlight the woes of ration shop keepers under the aegis of All India Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation (AIFPSDF).
Prahlad, who is vice president of AIFPSDF, says he visits Delhi often as part of his business or to lead the protest of fair price shop owners. But he does not drop by at 7, RCR, the prime minister's official residence, to say hello.
"We do not meet or talk on phone frequently, but we are on good terms. In the last 13 years I have met my elder brother only thrice as he has renounced the family life in the 70's. He has dedicated his life to the welfare of the nation. We did not meet even when he came to Gandhinagar to seek the blessings of our mother after his swearing in last year," Prahlad told IANS in an interview.
"I am a shopkeeper. I do not enjoy any special rights or privileges being the prime minister's sibling. Yes, as a protocol I have been provided security," he said when asked if he enjoys any perks as the prime minister's brother.
"I do not hanker after any personal gains or seek the advantage of being the brother of Narendra Modi. My parents have given me and other family members such cultural values that we believe in our strengths," said Prahlad, who owns a fair price shop in Ahmedabad.
Asked if he keeps in touch with the prime minister's wife, Jashodaben, a retired schoolteacher who lives in Unjha town of Mehsana district, he said they meet "off and on".
"Our family enjoys a healthy relationship with Narendra Modi's wife Jashodaden who lives in Unjha with her brother. We meet her off and on," said Prahlad.
Narendra Modi is the third of six siblings, with five of them being boys. Three brothers stay in Ahmedabad and one in Gandhinagar.
Explaining the reasons for which he has come to Delhi, Prahlad said that Narendra Modi as Gujarat chief minister had helped mitigate the problems of fair price shop owners in the state. The AIFPSDF is keen that Prime Minister Modi solve the problem of ration shop owners in the country.
The ration shop owners are demanding that the government now equate them with government servants, and are seeking a "respectable" monthly wages of Rs.25,000.
"We demand that the government consider us as government employees and fix a salary so that we can look after our family. At least they should give us Rs.25,000 per month as salary. PDS dealers have to bear losses every month. I have to suffer a loss of Rs.6,000 every month at my shop in Ahmedabad," he said, adding that he had written to the Gujarat government in 2010 in this regard. "The government should sit with us and chalk out a plan so that we are not left behind," he said.
"We have strong hopes from the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra-bhai Modi that they will give an ear to our problems. Narendra Modi had done a lot for people in the PDS sector while he was chief minister of Gujarat," he said.
He also said that his visit to Delhi "should not be treated as a fight against his elder brother". "I respect him a lot; he is like a father to me. I am not against my elder brother but I am raising the woes of the PDS dealers which should be sorted out," he added.
(Ashish Mishra can be reached at ashish.m@ians.in)
Coronavirus: How deadly is the new variant of Corona for children, why viruses come in the role of carrier
The new wave of coronavirus epidemic in many countries including China, and America has increased the concern of the world. Infection of the new variant of Corona has started appearing in many states
Petrol Diesel Price: Oil companies released the prices of petrol and diesel, know how much the prices were today
Even today, there has been no increase in the prices of petrol and diesel by the oil companies. In Delhi, a liter of petrol is getting Rs 105.41 per liter while diesel is getting Rs 96.67 per liter.
Amit Shah snatched the powers of the Delhi government, BJP did a walkout from the assembly after hearing Sisodia's answer to this question
BJP MLAs walked out of the House on the second day of the Delhi Assembly session after Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of snatching away the government's
What is expensive, what is cheap: gold and silver will be cheap; Mobile phones will be expensive, but phones will be made more than ever in the country
The budget has arrived. Like every time, some things have become cheaper this time, some more expensive. But there are not many things that have been affected. As it used to belong ago. Gold, silver,
Tamil Nadu: Politics heats up due to ED's action against Minister Senthil Balaji, Congress said - we will not be afraid
ED's action against Tamil Nadu Government's Electricity Minister Senthil Balaji has heated the politics. Opposition parties have criticized the detention of Senthil by the ED, terming it as an abuse
World Malaria Day: Big game in malaria death figures in Delhi, only 2 patients died in 6 years
Economically weak Sri Lanka may have become malaria-free, but malaria eradication in the country's capital Delhi is still a big challenge. Under the National Vector Borne Disease Control Program
Five and a half thousand CCTV cameras will be installed on Pakistan and Bangladesh border, Rs 30 crore fund approved
The government has approved a fund of Rs 30 crore for the purchase of surveillance cameras, drones, and other surveillance equipment for the BSF deployed to guard Indian fronts along the Pakistan and
Supreme Court: The matter of giving special status to educational institutions administered by minorities will be investigated
Will an educational institution administered by members of a minority community result in the status of a minority institution? The Supreme Court has agreed to investigate this matter. A bench of
Trishala Dutt: Sanjay Dutt's daughter Trishala changed her body, and posted a picture showing stretch marks
Actor Sanjay Dutt, one of the veteran actors of the Bollywood industry, is in discussions these days about his upcoming film 'Shamshera', while his daughter Trishala Dutt also often makes headlines.
UP Politics: Uncle making every effort to get over nephew, now resolves to revive Yadukul
When the uncle, who wrote an open letter to the Yaduvanshis on Janmashtami, referred to Kansa, who humiliated his father deceitfully, when he mentioned Yogeshwar Krishna, who established religion by