Kolkata, 24 April (H.S.) : Boatmen and owners whose boats were used during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s boat ride on the Hooghly River on Friday described the experience as emotional, unforgettable and “like a dream,” saying they were informed only minutes before his arrival that the Prime Minister would be boarding their vessels.

Gouranga Biswas, one of the boatmen who rowed the boat carrying Modi, said he could hardly believe that the country’s Prime Minister was seated in his boat. He said Modi appeared calm throughout the ride, enjoyed the riverfront views and personally clicked photographs using his camera.

According to Biswas, the Prime Minister asked his name once and instructed that the boat be taken towards the middle of the river before continuing to admire the surroundings.

“I am extremely happy. It feels like a dream come true,” he said while recalling the rare moment.

Another boat owner, Mohammed Iftikhar Ahmed, said the arrangements began early in the morning when a worker at the ghat asked him to arrange seven boats. When he inquired whether they were meant for a VIP movement, he was told it was nothing major.

Ahmed said all the boats were then positioned at the ghat, and only around five minutes before Modi’s arrival were they informed that the Prime Minister would be using them after his morning visit.

He added that during the interaction with boatmen, Modi conveyed a message of harmony and urged people to live together with mutual respect and brotherhood.

Prime Minister Modi visited the Hooghly riverfront in Kolkata on Friday morning amid the ongoing West Bengal election campaign. During the visit, he took a boat ride, interacted with locals and offered prayers to the Ganga.

Images and videos from the visit quickly gained traction on social media, drawing widespread attention.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh