On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday, a name from his early years has resurfaced and generated renewed public interest. That person is Abbas Ramsada, who, as a child, lived with Modi’s family in their modest Vadnagar home. But why did Abbas stay at the Modis’ Vadnagar house, and why did PM Modi refer to him in 2022?
Abbas is the son of Miyanbhai, a friend of Modi’s father, Damodardas Modi. After Miyanbhai’s death, Modi’s father brought the young Abbas to stay with them to ensure his studies weren’t disrupted.
The name “Abbas” came into the limelight after PM Modi penned a blog in 2022 to mark his mother Heeraben’s 100th birthday. In the post, he shared deeply personal stories from his childhood—including one about Abbas, the son of his father’s close friend from a nearby village.
“After his untimely death, my father brought his friend’s son, Abbas, to our home. He stayed with us and completed his studies. Mother was as affectionate and caring towards Abbas just like she did for all of us siblings,” PM Modi wrote in the blogpost.
“Every year on Eid, she used to prepare his favourite dishes. On festivals, it was commonplace for neighbourhood kids to come to our house and enjoy Mother’s special preparations,” PM Modi added in the blog.
Abbas, originally from Kesimpa village near Vadnagar, came to live with the Modi family. Modi’s father, Damodardas, convinced Abbas’ family to send him to Vadnagar for better education, as Kesimpa’s village school only offered classes up to the fifth grade, according a report in The Times of India.
Abbas stayed with Modi’s family for several years, studying alongside his younger brother Pankaj Modi in the same class. Both excelled academically, with Abbas earning excellent grades in his matriculation (SSC) exams in 1973-74, according to the report in The Times of India.
ABBAS’S JOURNEY ALONGSIDE MODI’S FAMILY
By the time Abbas sat for his SSC exam, Modi had already moved from Vadnagar to Ahmedabad to begin his full-time role as an RSS pracharak.
PM’s brother Pankaj Modi and Abbas got government jobs together—the former in the information department and the latter in the civil supplies department.
Prahlad Modi, another of PM Modi’s brothers, once recalled Abbas’s stay at their home. “Abbas stayed with us for a few years and left after matriculation. He was my brother Pankaj’s classmate,” he told TOI.
Abbas retired from his government service in 2022 and then went to Sydney, Australia, with his younger son. His elder son still lives in Gujarat, in Kheralu tahsil of Mehsana district.
Abbas himself has acknowledged the profound role that Modi’s family played in shaping his life. In a book he authored on PM Modi, he expressed gratitude for the support and affection he received—especially from Heeraben, whom he described as treating him no differently than her own children.
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