Uzbek students surprise PM by reciting his poems in Hindi, leave him emotional

Uzbek students surprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Uzbekistan by singing and reciting poems he had written years before entering politics, in both Hindi and Uzbek.The unusual cultural moment moved PM Modi, who said hearing the students recite his old verses brought back the emotions he had felt when he originally wrote them.“Poems were written by me a very long time ago. Today, I had the opportunity to hear them recited by these young people,” PM Modi said on Sunday during his interaction with students and the academic community at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies.He said he was particularly moved because Hindi was not the students' native language, yet they conveyed the emotions behind his words. “I noticed that although they were speaking in Hindi, Hindi is not their native language, yet the emotions were expressed exactly as they were in my heart when I originally wrote them,” he said. “This only becomes possible when you live that language, when you immerse yourself completely in it,” PM Modi added.The students presented three poems written by PM Modi, each recited in both Hindi and Uzbek. Fourth-year student Keldiyorov Dilhushbek recited “Abhi Toh Suraj Uga Hai” in Hindi, followed by its Uzbek translation by third-year student Dilshoda Juraboeva.Otabek Amirov and Ikromkhuja Sa'dillaev recited “Naye Bharat Ke Naye Sankalp” in Hindi and Uzbek respectively. Orzu Kuldosheva and Fayoza Abdurasulova similarly presented “Manavta Ko Kahin Na Lag Jaye Daag”, a poem centred on humanity, compassion and peace.The recitations drew an enthusiastic response from the audience and became one of the highlights of PM Modi's two-day visit to Uzbekistan over the weekend. During the visit, PM Modi was conferred with the country's highest state honour, the Order of "Oliy Darajali Dustlik".An informal dinner was hosted for PM Modi by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at Kuksaroy Palace in Tashkent, where a special musical performance was held based on “Abhi Toh Suraj Uga Hai”.UZBEKS HUM BOLLYWOOD SONGS AND NOW PM MODI'S POEMSThe poetry performance was a new twist to Uzbekistan's long-standing love for Indian popular culture. Home to more than 37 million people, Uzbekistan has had a strong affinity for Bollywood films and songs for decades, with Hindi music familiar to generations of people in the country.But the students' rendition of PM Modi's old poems was a different kind of cultural exchange. Written long before he became prime minister, the verses had travelled from his personal writings to a classroom in Tashkent, where young Uzbek students were reciting them in Hindi and translating them into their own language.For the Prime Minister, hearing his poems decades later was more than just a cultural performance. The students, he said, had managed to convey the same emotions he had felt when he first wrote the poems.- EndsPublished By: Prateek ChakrabortyPublished On: Aug 31, 2026 14:46 IST