Continuing a two-decade-old emotional tradition, a Pakistani woman, Qamar Sheikh, will again tie a rakhi to the wrist of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday, August 19. This will be the 30th year of a very unique ritual. Available on Raksha Bandhan, the gesture symbolizes a bond of sisterhood that Sheikh has continued to share with Modi, cutting across borders and political domains.
In fact, for every Raksha Bandhan, Sheikh has been making a rakhi by hand and making it more personalized. ‘I make many rakhis with my own hands every year before Raksha Bandhan and in the end, I tie the rakhi that I like the most on his wrist,’ she shared. This year, when this tradition completes 30 years, a special rakhi has been designed by Sheikh, decorated with velvet, pearls, metal embroidery, and tikki, to make this occasion even more memorable.
The annual pilgrimage to Delhi was broken in 2020, 2021, and 2022 due to the outbreak of COVID-19, which restricted travel and thus she could not perform the ritual. The lady resumed her journey last year and is looking forward to continuing her trysts this Raksha Bandhan.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Pakistani Muslim sister, Qamar Sheikh, is set to arrive in Delhi soon to tie the rakhi to her brother, a tradition she has been following for 29 years.https://t.co/UFZ3DOYROY
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— Dialogue Pakistan (@DialoguePak) August 13, 2024
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Sheikh’s 30-Year Rakhi Tradition with Modi
Born in a Muslim family in Karachi, Pakistan, Sheikh migrated to India after her marriage to Moshin Sheikh in 1981. She met the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for the first time in 1990 through the late Dr. Swaroop Singh, Governor of Gujarat. The meeting was held at an airport where Singh introduced Sheikh to Modi, who, on learning that Singh treated Sheikh as his daughter, responded that he would treat her as his sister. This was the icebreaker to Sheikh’s annual rakhi tying.
Sheikhpurad then narrated the chronology of events and shared how her wish to see Modi as the Chief Minister of Gujarat was fulfilled. When they met next during Raksha Bandhan, Modi turned to her and asked her, “What is your wish now?” Sheikh said she wanted to see him as the Prime Minister. This too was fulfilled.
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