A Beautiful Memory……..in remembrance of Shri Pranab Mukherjee
By Shahnaz Husain
It is a sad day for India! Our former President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, an eminent statesman and leader, has passed away. His principles and integrity will never be forgotten. For me, it evoked memories of the time when we experienced his humility and his great compassion for those who are less fortunate.
On March 28th, 2014, it was a dream come true for the blind students of Shasight, which is our free beauty training course for the visually impaired. They were invited to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to receive blessings from the then President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, after they successfully completed their Professional Beauty Diploma Course.
The President met the Shasight students in the beautiful Mughal Gardens. He shook hands with each student, blessed them and gave each of them chocolates. They were overwhelmed by the warmth of his greetings. His interest in their welfare and his affection showed his compassionate nature. Later, the students, along with Shahnaz Husain and other members of the group, were served lavish snacks inside the hall. The hospitality and warmth that the students experienced will always be a beautiful memory. In fact, while leaving Rashtrapati Bhavan, Ranjit Singh, one of the blind students, said, “It is a great day for us. I will always remember it. We touched the President of India. We knew he was standing in front of us, but we could not see him. We experienced everything with our hearts.” Indeed, it is a day that the students are bound to cherish always.
Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has said, “As India’s President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee made Rashtrapati Bhavan even more accessible to common citizens. He made the President’s house a centre of learning, innovation, culture, science and literature.”
