Dona Paula: 94-year-old Vishwanath Kelkar from Surla (Bicholim) was overwhelmed when Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankar touched his feet and took the blessing as he walked through the crowd to reach the dais at Goa Raj Bhavan on Thursday.
Dhankar was present as the chief guest for the release of 200th book of Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai at Raj Bhavan on Thursday.
As the Vice President arrived at the Raj Bhavan’s new Durbar Hall, he was walking through the crowd when he noticed 94-year-old Vishwanath Gadhadhar Kelkar, who was part of the invitees by the Raj Bhavan.
Clad in traditional dhoti, the farmer smilingly greeted Dhankar, which made him stop and inquire about him.
The Vice President asked the farmer about him and then touched his feet spending around a minute or two with him. The Governor, Chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant were also with Dhankar during this time.
“I was overwhelmed. I felt like being in heaven. I had come here upon invitation from the Governor. This is my first ever visit to Raj Bhavan,” said Kelkar, who was the first deputy sarpanch of Surla village panchayat in Bicholim taluka (NorthGoa) after state’s liberation from the Portuguese rule.
Accompanied by his daugher and his son-in-law Bhushan Bhave, a renowned writer, the farmer said he has been practicising agriculture throughout his life.
“ I do it my self satisfaction and overall society,” he said.
Dhankar later released the 200th book written by Pillai titled “Vaman Vriksha Kala.
