Abbas Ramsada is a retired Gujarat government Class-II official who worked for the Food and Supply Department for many years. In June 2022, he rose to prominence after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned him in one of his (Modi’s) blog postings. On June 18, 2022, Narendra Modi was celebrating his mother’s 100th birthday and penned a touching note on his blog about his childhood memories with his mother.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Abbas Ramsada was born in the village of Kesimpa in Mehsana, Gujarat, in 1958.
He’s married with two sons. His younger son reportedly lives in Sydney, and Abbas lives with him. His oldest son lives in Gujarat’s tehsil Kheralu, district Mehsana.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
Hair Colour: Salt and Pepper
Eye Colour: Black
EDUCATION
Abbas completed his schooling at BN High School in Vadnagar, Gujarat.
CAREER
For a long time, Abbas Ramsada worked as a Class-II employee of the Gujarat government in the Food and Supply Department. He retired from the military in 2021.
On June 18, 2022, Narendra Modi published a blog entry in which he remembered his boyhood friend Abbas, who lived with Modi’s family for two years when they were tiny children. “After my father’s close friend who lived in a neighbouring village died unexpectedly, my father took his friend’s kid, Abbas (Ramsada), to our home,” Modi wrote. He stayed with us till he finished his education. Mother was as loving and compassionate to Abbas as she was to the rest of us siblings. She cooked his favourite foods every Eid.”
Modi went on to recall his Vadnaga village and their little cottage, which lacked even a window. Modi described a “small cottage in Vadnagar” that lacked even a window, let alone luxuries like a toilet or a bathroom. This one-room tenement with mud walls and clay tiles for a roof was our home.”
Narendra Modi stated that his mother found satisfaction in the happiness of others and that she was not guilty of having a tiny house. She treated everyone who came to her house with love and respect. He wrote, “Our abode may have been modest, but she had a big heart.” Narendra Modi highlighted his friend Abbas, whose residence was a little further away in another village, in his blog. Modi noted that during festivals, his friends would visit to his house, and his mother would prepare special foods for them. “On festivals, it was normal for neighbourhood youngsters to come to our house and enjoy Mother’s special preparations,” he wrote.
Narendra Modi’s brother revealed in a media interview that Abbas Miyanjibhai Ramsada Momin used to live in Kesimpa village in Mehsana, Gujarat, and was like a family to them. Pankajbhai Modi, Narendra Modi’s brother, revealed in the same interview that Abbas used to study in his class. During the conversation, Pankajbhai mentioned Abbas’s personality. He described himself as “a great human being who would perform namaaz five times a day and also performed the Haj.” Pankajbhai went on to say that Abbas came to live at their house while he was in eighth grade. He lived with them for two years and attended all of their events. According to Pankajbhai, “My father and Abbas’s father were buddies. There was no high school in his village, and he was about to drop out after finishing primary school… Abbas completed his Class 8-9 while remaining with us.”
Pankajbhai claimed that Abbas used to wear a black shirt of his during the Muharram celebration. He stated, “Abbas was like a member of the family. On holidays, my mother would prepare food for him. I recall Muharram, when Muslims fast and wear black… I had a black shirt that Abbas was going to wear.”
