Daijiworld Media Network - Mandya (SP)

Mandya, Mar 21: A Muslim girl staying in Sugar Town locality in the town yearned to pursue MBA degree. She hails from a lower middle class family and hence found it hard to put together enough money for chasing her dream. She approached banks for loans but none of them were ready to extend financial assistance. As a last resort, she wrote to Prime Minister (PM), Narendra Modi, seeking educational loan. Within ten days, Modi responded to her letter and ensured that she got the bank loan she badly needed.

The girl who was helped by the PM happens to be B B Sarah. After she wrote to the PM, Modi wrote to the chief secretary in the state within ten days, asking him to ensure that Sarah got loan for her further education. Accordingly, Vijaya Bank has come forward to provide with educational loan of Rs 1.5 lac.

Sarah's father, Abdul Illyas, happens to be an employee of Mysore Sugar Mill. Sarah who is pursuing MBA degree through PES College, encountered financial problem. As Mysore Sugar Company had not disbursed salaries to its employees since the last nine months, her father could not help. Sarah badly needed Rs 1.5 lac to meet college fee of one lac rupees, and money to buy laptop. When Sarah's parents approached a nationalized bank in the town for educational loan, the bank manager reportedly refused to grant loan, knowing fully well the economic condition of the family and that of Mysore Sugar Mill.

Sarah had a crisis on hand in chasing her goal of finishing her higher education. Sarah, who used to listen to Mann Ki Baat programme of the PM, had developed faith in Modi's ability to come to the rescue of ordinary people. Having read that Modi had helped many students and children from various districts and states, she wrote to Modi. Modi in turn, wrote to the chief secretary. Even after the PM wrote a letter and state chief secretary intervened, it is said that Central Bank of India, which had earlier turned down her request for loan, did not show any inclination to change its stand. Vijaya Bank came forward to help her with the loan. B B Sarah says she is at a loss of words to praise the initiative undertaken by Narendra Modi to help her at the time of her need.

"I would like to personally meet Modi and thank him for helping me with education loan at a time when I was in urgent need. I was watching 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' programme on TV and this inspired me to write to the PM. I wish that Modi will bring out a scheme to help talented students like me who want to get involved with higher studies but face financial constraints to do so," Sarah says.