‘I am the brother of Narendra Modi and not the prime minister. For prime minister Modi, I am only one of the 125 crore people of India who are his brothers and sisters’
Says pm’s eldest brother Sombhai Modi, who runs an NGO for elderly people in Vadnagar, Gujarat, Narendra Modi’s birthplace. Sombhai has led a simple and hard life when asked about the PM, he simply retorts that he hasn’t met his brother in two years and only in speaking terms with Narendra Modi on phone calls.
Pankaj, another sibling of PM Modi has had the opportunity to greet his brother for his mother’s sake, Heeraben who resides in the state capital of Gujarat, Gandhinagar. Pankaj serves as an officer in the Gujarat information sector. Amrutbhai, the oldest brother of all, is a retired 72 years old fitter who had an average income of less than 10,000 per month back in 2005. He used to run a canteen near Gujarat’s transport headquarter in Ahmedabad and Narendra Modi assisted him while serving for RSS pracharaks . He too lives a middle-class life with his son Sanjay and his family in Ahmedabad’s Ghatlodia locality. Sanjay is currently running a small business in spare parts and both of his children are engineering aspirants. They own a car but are merely utilized by the family. They too affirm having met Narendra Modi twice in Gandhinagar at a family gathering when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. Sanjay loves his uncle and cherishes his priceless possessions. The four-room house where Sanjay dwells surprisingly has space for the exhibition of the articles used by Narendra Modi.
Modi’s youngest brother, Prahlad Modi is a shop owner and presides over Gujarat State fair price owner’s association. Prahlad has openly criticised his brother when Narendra Modi demanded transparency in the PDS system while he was holding the CM office.
Ashokbhai, Modi’s first cousin, is too struggling with poverty and old age. He traded in kites, crackers, and snacks, sold on a four-wheeled pushcart in Vadnagar’s Gheekanta bazaar. He has now rented a shop which deals with the same items that earn him around 4000 rupees. He along with his wife earn an additional 3000 rupees working for a food outlet owned by a local businessman.
Arvind Bhai, cousin of Narendra Modi and son to Narsinhdas is a 61-year-old seller, dealing in old scrap and tin, which he collects from door to door and transports them by autorickshaw or bus. He has an average monthly income of 6000 rupees which is enough to support him and his wife, Ranjaben.
Bharat Bhai, a sibling to Arvind Bhai, is the highest earner among the narsinhdas’ sons. He works as a petrol pump attendant and earns 6000 rupees per month. His wife Ramilaben sometimes help him to earn 3000 by selling groceries and edible items.
Bhogibhai, the eldest son to Narsinhdas, runs a grocery shop in Vadnagar.
