Prime Minister Narendra Modi had an encounter with Kashmiri youth Nazim Nazeer on Thursday, where the Prime Minister not only took a selfie with him but also referred to him as a "friend."
Nazeer, a successful beekeeper, was among the achievers selected to interact with Modi after his public rally at Bakshi Stadium. During their exchange, Nazeer expressed his desire for a selfie with Modi.
The Prime Minister later shared a tweet along with the selfie, stating, "A memorable selfie with my friend Nazim. I was impressed by the good work he's doing. At the public meeting, he requested a selfie, and I was happy to meet him. My best wishes for his future endeavors."
Commending Nazeer's efforts in the beekeeping sector, Modi remarked, "We have heard of green revolution and white revolution, but you have brought about a sweet revolution."
According to a PTI report, Nazeer initiated his beekeeping venture as a hobby with two boxes and later expanded to 25 boxes through a government scheme.
He said, "The first extraction was 75 kg, which earned me Rs 60,000. I took a PMEGP loan of Rs 5 lakh and added 200 boxes. The yield was good, and through online marketing, we sold around 5000 kg of honey."
Currently managing 2000 boxes and involving 100 more youths in his beekeeping venture, Nazeer added, "We got FPO membership in 2023. Now we earn Rs 1 lakh per stall at different exhibitions."
Modi suggested that Nazeer explore online resources to study how beekeepers in Central Asia utilize different crops for rearing bees, offering varied flavors of honey.
"You are giving direction to the youth of the country. You are becoming the strength of the country. I thank you," Modi acknowledged.
In another interaction, Modi spoke with an all-girls group that established their bakery after undergoing a course in food technology. Ehtisam Majeed Bhat, a Srinagar resident, mentioned that obtaining clearances was challenging initially, but the single window clearance set up after 2019 streamlined the process.
Modi applauded Bhat for not only taking care of her sisters but also involving her friends in her self-employment venture, offering his best wishes and assuring government support to their efforts.
