Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video call with injured Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar on Friday has once again brought attention to a less routine aspect of the Prime Minister's public engagements: his personal interactions with people who have found themselves in the spotlight after acts of courage, sporting achievements, grassroots work or personal milestones. During his conversation with Machchhar, who was injured after being attacked by his co-pilot aboard a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, PM Modi praised the captain's courage and presence of mind. Machchhar, who is recovering in the UAE, told the Prime Minister that he was reciting the Hanuman Chalisa during the ordeal and that, despite his injuries, he realised he had to get up and act to survive.
Smit Machchhar spoke to PM Modi from the UAE while undergoing treatment after the September 30 incident on Flydubai flight FZ1073. The aircraft, carrying 174 passengers and eight crew members, was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia after the cockpit attack. During the video call, Machchhar became emotional while speaking to PM Modi and recalled how he forced himself to act despite sustaining serious injuries. He said his experience of more than 17 years as a pilot and 11 years as a captain helped him understand what was happening even during the chaos.
PM Modi praised his courage and told him that the country was praying for his recovery. He also said he had spoken to Machchhar's mother, Geeta, and praised the values with which she had raised her son. The Prime Minister also thanked the Saudi and UAE authorities for taking care of the injured pilot and told him that he was only a phone call away whenever he needed help. The interaction is the latest among several occasions when PM Modi has personally called, written to or met people outside the conventional circle of political leaders and public figures.
PM Modi has also personally reached out to athletes after major international achievements. After Neeraj Chopra won silver in the men's javelin at the Paris Olympics in August 2024, Modi called the athlete to congratulate him. Chopra had competed despite an injury and finished behind Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who won gold with an Olympic record. During the conversation, PM Modi asked about Chopra's injury and told him not to dwell on missing the gold medal. He also praised Chopra's mother, Saroj Devi, after she expressed happiness for Nadeem's victory and described the Pakistani athlete as being like her son. The silver medal made Chopra only the third Indian and the first Indian track-and-field athlete to win individual medals at consecutive Olympic Games.
It is not every day that a Prime Minister is asked to name a newborn child. But that is what happened after Bharat Singh and Vibha, a young couple from Nayapura Hansipur village in Mirzapur, wrote to PM Modi after the birth of their daughter. Vibha wrote to the Prime Minister on August 13, the day the baby was born. In the letter, she referred to Modi's emphasis on opportunities for girls and said his campaign had inspired many families. The couple did not expect a personal response. However, Bharat received a phone call around 10 pm from a number associated with the Prime Minister's Office. He was told that PM Modi wanted to speak to him. During their conversation, which lasted a little over two minutes, PM Modi congratulated the couple on becoming parents for the second time and suggested the name 'Vaibhavi' for their daughter, combining elements of her parents' names. When villagers initially found Bharat's account difficult to believe, he called the number back and requested written confirmation. The PMO subsequently sent the family a letter signed by PM Modi, congratulating them on the arrival of their daughter and conveying his good wishes.
In December 2023, PM Modi made a surprise visit to the Ayodhya home of Meera Majhi, who had become the 10th-crore beneficiary of the Ujjwala Yojana. During the visit, he had tea with Majhi and her family. Days later, PM Modi wrote to her and sent gifts for the family, including a tea set and a drawing book with colours. In his letter, he recalled the tea he had at their home and said he was pleased to see the family's confidence while sharing their experiences. PM Modi also described Majhi's status as the 10th-crore Ujjwala beneficiary as more than a numerical milestone, linking it to the aspirations of people benefiting from the scheme.Another example came in 2022, when PM Modi responded to a letter from Sudhir Kumar Jain of Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh. Jain had written to the Prime Minister after receiving a pucca house under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. He described his earlier experience of living in rented accommodation and having to change houses several times. PM Modi wrote back congratulating Jain and said that a house was not merely a structure made of bricks and cement but was connected to a family's aspirations and sense of security. He described the new home as a foundation for a dignified life and a better future for Jain's children. The exchange is notable because the citizen initiated the correspondence and received a personal response from the Prime Minister.
PM Modi's interactions have also extended to people affected by major disasters. During his August 2024 visit to landslide-hit Wayanad in Kerala, he visited a relief camp at Meppadi and spoke to survivors whose families had been devastated by the disaster. Among them was Ayyapan, who told The Indian Express that he had lost nine members of his family. PM Modi also met other survivors, including Anil Kumar,who had lost his son and grandmother, and spoke to doctors treating the injured. The Prime Minister subsequently reviewed rescue and rehabilitation efforts with state officials during the visit.