'Growing up, never imagined village boy like me would occupy highest post in nation'

Lucknow/ Kanpur Dehat: President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday said he had never imagined that an ordinary village boy like him would have the honour of occupying the highest post in the country, and thanked the people of his birth place for this.

He was addressing a gathering at the Paraunkh village, which is his birthplace, in Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh. The Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted that in a rare emotional gesture, after landing at the helipad near his village, Kovind bowed and touched the soil to pay obeisance to the land of his birth.

This is the first time the president is visiting his village after taking over his present assignment. Though he desired to visit the place earlier, plans could not materialise because of the pandemic, an official statement had earlier said.

"I had never imagined, even in my dreams, that an ordinary village boy like me would have the honour of occupying the highest post in the country. But, our democratic system made this possible," Kovind said.

"Wherever I have reached today, the credit goes to the soil of this village, this region, and to your love and blessings," he said.

The president paid tributes to B R Ambedkar, makers of the Constitution and freedom fighters. He also visited Milan Kendra and Veerangana Jhalkari Bai Inter College and addressed a Jan Sambodhan Samaroh. "According to my family's 'sanskaar' (values), the oldest woman in the village is given the status of mother and the oldest man is given the status of father, irrespective of caste or community. Today, I feel happy that this tradition of giving respect to the elders in our family is still continuing," Kovind said.

He said that the scent of soil of the village and the memories of its residents always remain etched in his heart. "For me Paraunkh is not only a village, it is my 'maatribhoomi' (motherland) from where I get inspiration to serve the country," Kovind said. "This inspiration has made me reach from high court to the Supreme Court to the Rajya Sabha. From the Rajya Sabha, I moved to the Raj Bhavan and from there to the Rashtrapati Bhavan," the president said. Kovind also recited a Sanskrit phrase to highlight the pride of ''janmabhoomi'' (place of birth), and said, "The pride of a mother who gives birth (to a child) and the 'janmabhoomi' is greater than heaven." He said that as he was quite late in his visit this time and he will try not to delay it so much next time.