KOCHI: The VVIP launch at the Naval Airport here on Saturday witnessed an unusual meeting between a house owner and former tenant. The ‘house owner’ is President Ram Nath Kovind and the tenant, Reuben George, a Kanpur - based Malayali having roots at Edathua in Alappuzha. Reuben, a management consultant, had been staying at Kovind’s house at Kalyanpur in Kanpur for the last 10 years. The President, during his speech the other day, had mentioned about a Malayali who is a tenant at his house in Kanpur. “Fortunate are those born in Kerala, the land of Adi Sankara and Sree Narayana Guru.
A Malayali called George has been staying in my house in Kanpur for the last 10 years, ‘’ Kovind told the gathering at the reception organised by the state government and the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. Reuben has been in Kerala since May on some official business.
When came to know about the President’s visit to Kerala, he sought an audience with Kovind. The presidential staff found it was the same person the President had mentioned in his speech and they facilitated the one-on-one.
Though his family roots are in Edathua, Reuben was born and brought up in Kanpur. It is after a gap of two years Ruben is meeting Kovind. ‘’I used to meet him when he visited Kanpur before taking over as Bihar Governor. I am grateful to the President for the kind words he had for me,’’ Reuben said.