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President of Mauritius sheds a happy tear as he returns to his family's Bihar village
Overcome with emotion, Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag broke down after arriving in the "land of his forefathers" - a nondescript village of Bihar - on Sunday.
"I salute this land from where my ancestors had migrated to Mauritius about 150 years ago," a tearful Purryag said at a civic reception organised in his honour.
He told the gathering, at Wajitpur village in the Masaurhi sub-division of Patna district, "I am very happy to be here but I have turned emotional too."
Purryag, who was accompanied by his wife Anitah Purryag, shed tears over the sentimental reunion while addressing the villagers, who turned up in large numbers to see the man who rose from an extremely poor family to become the President of a country.
The President said: "On this occasion, all my pores remembers my great grandfather who had left this village behind and gone to Mauritius."
Recounting the ordeal of his forefathers, the visiting President said his grandfather and many others from the state were lured by the British to Mauritius in the name of better future.
"They were told that they would find gold beneath the rocks there," he said.
Purryag added: "Our forefathers did not get any gold but they worked hard enough to turn Mauritius into an independent nation. They faced abject poverty and even had to sleep on empty stomachs on many occasions."
With moist eyes, Purryag said when his forefathers left for Mauritius, they took Bihar and India with them in their hearts.
"This is why India and Mauritius are not bound merely by their bilateral ties; they have the relationship of two brothers," he said.
Calling upon the people of Bihar to shun casteism and forge ahead on the road to development by focusing on education, he said Mauritius had remained poor until 40 to 50 years ago. However, it attained progress through unity of its people and education.
Speaking in Hindi, Purryag said Bihar's development under chief minister Nitish Kumar was being talked about everywhere these days.
Purryag said that he had come to Bihar 25 years ago in search of his village but could not find it.
"It is because of the efforts of Nitish and his government that I have reached here."
Nitish, who was present on the occasion, said his government has decided to name an upcoming high school as well as a pond in the village after the visiting dignitary.
He said it was a matter of great pride that people from Bihar had risen to the post of President in a foreign country by dint of their hard work and talent.
The village was in festive mood throughout the day.
President of Mauritius sheds a happy tear as he returns to his family's Bihar village | Mail Online
Overcome with emotion, Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag broke down after arriving in the "land of his forefathers" - a nondescript village of Bihar - on Sunday.
"I salute this land from where my ancestors had migrated to Mauritius about 150 years ago," a tearful Purryag said at a civic reception organised in his honour.
He told the gathering, at Wajitpur village in the Masaurhi sub-division of Patna district, "I am very happy to be here but I have turned emotional too."
Purryag, who was accompanied by his wife Anitah Purryag, shed tears over the sentimental reunion while addressing the villagers, who turned up in large numbers to see the man who rose from an extremely poor family to become the President of a country.
The President said: "On this occasion, all my pores remembers my great grandfather who had left this village behind and gone to Mauritius."
Recounting the ordeal of his forefathers, the visiting President said his grandfather and many others from the state were lured by the British to Mauritius in the name of better future.
"They were told that they would find gold beneath the rocks there," he said.
Purryag added: "Our forefathers did not get any gold but they worked hard enough to turn Mauritius into an independent nation. They faced abject poverty and even had to sleep on empty stomachs on many occasions."
With moist eyes, Purryag said when his forefathers left for Mauritius, they took Bihar and India with them in their hearts.
"This is why India and Mauritius are not bound merely by their bilateral ties; they have the relationship of two brothers," he said.
Calling upon the people of Bihar to shun casteism and forge ahead on the road to development by focusing on education, he said Mauritius had remained poor until 40 to 50 years ago. However, it attained progress through unity of its people and education.
Speaking in Hindi, Purryag said Bihar's development under chief minister Nitish Kumar was being talked about everywhere these days.
Purryag said that he had come to Bihar 25 years ago in search of his village but could not find it.
"It is because of the efforts of Nitish and his government that I have reached here."
Nitish, who was present on the occasion, said his government has decided to name an upcoming high school as well as a pond in the village after the visiting dignitary.
He said it was a matter of great pride that people from Bihar had risen to the post of President in a foreign country by dint of their hard work and talent.
The village was in festive mood throughout the day.
President of Mauritius sheds a happy tear as he returns to his family's Bihar village | Mail Online
