New Delhi/Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta had a momentous meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Wednesday, calling it a “priceless” experience that encapsulated his journey from an army officer and political foot soldier to a Member of Parliament standing beside the country's most popular leader.

Accompanied by his parents, Sessanna Chowta and Pushpa Chowta, the MP presented PM Modi with a Pili Tha Mande (a tiger head mascot), a cultural artefact from the Pili Nalike dance of Tulunadu, a tradition that the Prime Minister had previously mentioned in his Mann Ki Baat address. Chowta also gifted a portrait of Mangaluru Kambala, an event he has been actively promoting, along with flowers and prasada from the Kollur Mookambike temple.

Expressing his emotions after the meeting, Chowta took to social media, stating: “This picture captures what words cannot express—the journey of a son of an ordinary middle-class family, who served in the army and worked at the grassroots, today standing with the world’s most loved leader. Modiji planted this dream in me and also ensured it was realised.”

Beyond personal sentiment, the meeting also had a strong developmental focus. Chowta shared his vision of transforming Mangalore into a high-growth region, akin to Gujarat’s development trajectory under PM Modi. In a letter submitted to the Prime Minister, he outlined historical trade connections between Gujarat and Mangalore, the strength of their port cities, and the entrepreneurial spirit that binds the two regions.

Chowta stressed that Mangalore has all the essential ingredients to be self-reliant (Atmanirbhar) but has been sidelined due to state politics. “From shipbuilding to fisheries, from Hindutva to heritage, from financial potential to food processing—Mangalore has the capabilities to be a mini-Gujarat. What it needs is the opportunity,” he said.

With a strong push for placing Mangalore on India’s developmental map, Chowta sought the Prime Minister’s guidance to unlock the region’s full economic potential.