Modi hails Alin's parents in Mann Ki Baat, family says thanks
Praising her parents' decision to donate her organs, Modi said, 'This single decision shows how big their thinking is and how vast their character is.'
Praising her parents' decision to donate her organs, Modi said, 'This single decision shows how big their thinking is and how vast their character is.'
Praising her parents' decision to donate her organs, Modi said, 'This single decision shows how big their thinking is and how vast their character is.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday remembered the 10-month-old Alin Sherin Abraham, who tragically lost her life in an accident, and became Kerala's youngest organ donor, during his monthly radio programme, Mann Ki Baat.
Modi said that the baby who had an entire life ahead of her left the world suddenly, and so many dreams and moments of happiness remained unfulfilled.
Alin, the only daughter of Arun Abraham and Sherin Ann John, was declared brain-dead after sustaining serious injuries in a road accident in Kottayam on February 5. With her parents’ consent, six of her organs—liver, both kidneys, heart valve and eyes—were donated, making her the youngest organ donor in the state.
“The pain that her parents must be going through cannot be expressed in words. Even amidst such deep sorrow, Aalin’s father, Arun Abraham and mother, Sherin, took a decision that has filled every Indian’s heart with immense respect for them,” the Prime Minister said.
Praising her parents' decision to donate her organs, Modi said, "This single decision shows how big their thinking is and how vast their character is.”
Alin's grandfather, Reji Samuel, reacted to the Prime Minister's praise, thanking him for his recognition. He said, although on one hand the family is overcome by the grief over Alin's death, he said that they are happy that the Indian government spoke about Alin's story to inspire others.
During the program, the Prime Minister highlighted another development in Kerala; the revival of the centuries-old Mamangam tradition after nearly 250 years.
"The same stream of the Maha Kumbh, the same month of Magha, the same voice of devotion, as it moves from North to South, takes on a new identity. On the land of Kerala, in Tirunavaya on the banks of the Bharatappuzha River, there is a centuries-old tradition, Mamangam," Modi said.
The prime minister said many people also call it the 'Maha Magha' festival or 'Kerala Kumbh', where bathing in the holy river during the month of Magha and making that moment an indelible memory of life is its soul.
Over time, he said, this tradition seemed to have disappeared, and for nearly 250 years, this event had not been celebrated with the same grandeur as it used to be.
"But today, in our country, which is re-recognising its heritage, history has taken another turn. This time, the Kerala Kumbh was successfully held without any major announcement," he said.
Modi pointed out how people communicated with each other about it, word spread, and soon, devotees began arriving at Tirunavaya every day.