Growing up, never imagined that village boy like me would occupy highest post in nation: President Ram Nath Kovind

NEW DELHI:  President Ram Nath Kovind, who is on a visit to his birthplace in Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday said he had never imagined that an ordinary village boy like him would occupy the highest post in the country. He was addressing a gathering at Paraunkh village in Kanpur Dehat district.

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

This is Kovind’s first visit to his village after assuming charge as the first citizen of the country. “Though he desired to visit the place earlier, plans could not materialise because of the pandemic,” an official statement stated. 

Kovind paid tributes to Dr BR Amedkar and other freedom fighters and also visited the Veerangana Jhalkar Bai Inter College and Milan Kendra. He also visited the Pathri Devi temple with his family.  “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,” he said. Paranukh was not only a village but also his motherland from where he drew inspiration to serve the country, he added. “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,” Kovind said.