PM Modi pays tributes to Aalin, Kerala’s youngest organ donor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid glowing tributes to 10-month-old Aalin Sherin Abraham, who became Kerala’s youngest organ donor on her death in a road accident earlier this month.

In the 131st episode of his Mann ki Baat programme, Mr. Modi said the decision of her parents to donate her organs “reveals the expanse of their thinking and the magnitude of their personality.” Mr. Modi went on to add that although little Aalin is no more, “her name has joined the ranks of the nation’s youngest organ donors.”

“She left this world at the age of just 10 months. Imagine - she had a whole life ahead of her, which abruptly ended. So many dreams and joys remained unfulfilled. The pain her parents must be undergoing is beyond any expression in words. But even amidst such profound pain, Aalin’s father, Arun Abraham, and mother, Sherin, made a decision that has filled the heart of every citizen with respect. They decided to donate Aalin’s organs. This single decision reveals the expanse of their thinking and the magnitude of their personality,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister also took the opportunity to underscore the importance of organ donation. Awareness about organ donation has been steadily rising in India, he said. “This is helping those who are in need of it. It is also strengthening medical research in the country. Many organisations and individuals are doing extraordinary work in this direction,” he said.

Aalin, from Malappally in Pathanamthitta district, was declared brain dead following a February 5 accident on MC Road after the car in which she was travelling with her mother and maternal grandparents collided with another vehicle.

570 rice varieties

In his programme, Mr. Modi also mentioned the Maha Magha festival, dubbed Kumbh of the South, held in February at Tirunavaya. He said that the Kerala Kumbh was successfully held without any major announcement this time. “Whether it’s the Maha Kumbh or the Kerala Kumbh, it’s not just a festival of bathing. It’s a reminiscential awakening of memory. It’s a re-remembrance of culture. From North to South, the rivers may be different, the banks may be different, but the stream of faith is the same - this is Bharat,” he said.

The Prime Minister also hailed a village in Thrissur district that is home to 570 varieties of rice in a single field. “This includes local varieties, herbal varieties, and even varieties imported from other States. This isn’t just farming, it’s a massive campaign to preserve seed heritage,” he said.