Bengali girl rises to fame because of PM autograph

BANKURA:  A student from Bankura Christian College second year never thought an autograph from PM Narendra Modi would make her a celebrity in her Salgirah village in Bankura Ranibandh, which is 230 km from Kolkata. The new-found fame has already landed two marriage proposals at the doorstep of 19-year-old Rita Mudi. For the last 10 days life has been hectic, she said over the phone on Friday. “That day at the hospital when the PM came to my bedside, I told him how happy I was to see him,” she said.

On July 16, Rita had travelled to Midnapore along with her mother and sister to hear Modi speak. They sat below a tent which subsequently collapsed. They were rushed to the hospital. The PM later came visiting. He spoke to Rita, among others. “I requested an autograph,” Rita said. “I saw him hesitate a bit. But I insisted. He then smiled and wrote, ‘Rita Mudi tum sukhi raho (Stay well, Rita Mudi). Narendra Modi.’ The paper was provided by a person who was standing next to him,” she added.

“We started having a stream of visitors, including people who would not talk to us till the other day. We were recuperating but that didn’t stop people from coming to see the autograph. The sudden attention was slightly disconcerting,” Rita said. “I think my photograph in social media and newspapers made me famous.”

Mother of Sandhya said: “It isn’t only visitors. In the last 10 days, we received two marriage proposals for Rita. The first was from Jharkhand Tatanagar. They said the groom had his own business and they had no demands. They also invited us to visit their home first before we decided. The second proposal was from Bankura, from Chatna. The groom owns agricultural land. Both my daughters (Rita’s sister Anita has taken admission to a general undergraduate arts course in Bankura Saradamani Mahila Mahavidyapith) want to study. So we didn’t show much interest.”

Before this, the family had only received one marriage proposal for Rita but the groom had asked for Rs 1 lakh dowry. Rita’s father Subhas Chandra Mudi, who tills his own land, couldn't provide it. Rita said that “Marriage will happen when my parents decide but I want to study now.”