Kolkata, April 24 (IANS) For Gouranga Biswas, the boatman who rowed the boat in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi went for a ride on Friday morning, the experience was really fascinating.

Speaking to the IANS, Biswas said that he had never imagined that he would row the boat on which the Prime Minister of the country went for a ride.

“I was not aware till the last moment that the Prime Minister would be going for the boat-ride on my boat. He suddenly appeared and just asked my name. I was speechless initially, since I had never imagined such a situation. He travelled for some time on Hooghly River and also clicked some pictures with his camera,” Biswas said.

However, he said that there was no opportunity for him to take a picture along with Prime Minister Modi.

“His boat-ride continued for some time and I took the boat till the middle of the river,” Biswas said and added that though quite excited, he was not nervous while sailing the boat.

“But I did not have the chance to speak much with him. He asked my name and I replied. That was all. The conversation could not continue probably because neither I can understand nor speak Hindi. Then he gestured to me to go till the middle of the river, which I did. But I am very happy that I sailed the boat in which the Prime Minister of the country was travelling. The other persons accompanying the Prime Minister were speaking among themselves in Hindi, which I could not understand,” Biswas added.

According to him, previously he had the opportunity of being the boatman of the boats in which film stars were travelling. “But sailing the boat in which the Prime Minister was travelling was a different feeling after all,” Biswas added.

On Friday morning, Prime Minister Modi took to social media to post a picture of his boat ride. In that post, he also highlighted the cultural and spiritual importance of the Ganga River for Bengalis.

PM Modi said, “For every Bengali, the Ganga occupies a very special place. One can say that the Ganga flows through the soul of Bengal. Her divine waters carry the timeless spirit of an entire civilisation.”

–IANS

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