
Sumaiya Ali
2.8K posts

Sumaiya Ali
@SumaiyaaAli
Independent Journalist | previously at @bbcmonitoring |words in @bbc @bmj_latest @himalistan @newslaundry @tcnlive @scroll_in @thewire_in and more




The year was 2005, I had joined Times Now as their Gujarat Bureau Chief, just 11 months into my journalism career, fresh out of college. I’ll never forget that afternoon—it was a languid, sweltering day in September. I was dozing off at home, indulging in my afternoon siesta, as we were still scouting for a location to set up our bureau office in Ahmedabad. Around 1 p.m., my phone rang, displaying an unfamiliar Gandhinagar landline number. I answered, and a polite voice asked if I was Megha Prasad. I confirmed, and he responded, “Achha, ab Sahab baat karenge.” Surprised, I asked, “Kaun se Sahab?”—not for a moment imagining who was on the other end. The operator, amused, replied, “CM Sahab.” I bolted upright on my bed. Until then, I had never spoken to a minister, let alone a chief minister. Before I could gather my thoughts, a commanding voice boomed through the phone: “Toh, kaisa laga hamara Gujarat?” That call marked the beginning of a 21-year association with Narendra Modi ji, the only politician I’ve covered throughout my career—from Gujarat to Delhi, from Chief Minister to Prime Minister of India. What struck me then was his initiative to reach out to me, a young journalist who had just relocated to his state to establish a bureau for a news channel yet to launch. Ideally, I should have been the one seeking his time, but this politician was different from the start—he didn’t wait for my request. Those who know him closely will attest that he nurtures his relationships with remarkable warmth and care. Happy Birthday Prime Minister Sir 😊 @narendramodi #NarendraModi















उत्तर प्रदेश सरकार में मेरे सहयोगी, कैबिनेट मंत्री श्री नन्द गोपाल गुप्ता 'नन्दी' जी को जन्मदिन की हार्दिक बधाई एवं शुभकामनाएं! प्रभु श्री राम की कृपा से आपको स्वस्थ, सुदीर्घ एवं यशस्वी जीवन की प्राप्ति हो, यही कामना है। @NandiGuptaBJP


Puncture Banate-Banate Stanford Pahunch Gayi. Wo Bhi full Style Mein.











