New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who turns 76 this day, continues to remain ahead of others for which many attribute to his relentless discipline, sharp focus, and ability to connect policy with people’s everyday lives.
His tenure as the country’s Prime Minister has been marked by several achievements in poverty alleviation, healthcare, financial inclusion, and global diplomacy, as widely reported.
But there is a side that largely remains out of public eyes; which inspires those who got a chance to get close to him, and now shares their unique experience.
The website ‘Modi Story’ chronicles some of these voices who came away inspired, keen to infuse the same “can do” spirit in others.
Sonal Mehta of Madhya Pradesh remembers her meeting with the then Gujarat’s Chief Minister Modi in 2013 where she offered a glass of water to him.
She adds that PM Narendra Modi made it a point to pour as much water he needed at that time into a glass in front of him, rather than take it all.
It is a poignant reminder for the listener about what people choose to squander when it lasts.
On other occasions, as during a recent interaction with students at the Prime Minister’s residence — 7, Lok Kalyan Marg — in New Delhi, he advised them to turn off water when brushing teeth, in between gargling.
In another clip depicted on the website, well-known singer and composer Shankar Mahadevan recounts ease of payment introduced under the regime of Prime Minister Modi.
On the way to his farmhouse once, he shares, he purchased lemon from a vendor with payment made through a QR code, a process which may appear simple, yet marks significant achievement in digital payment.
Noted filmmaker Subhash Ghai also shares a fascinating story where his meeting with the then Chief Minister Modi left a lasting impression as a remarkable personality.
In 2009 when Ghai visited Gujarat to seek land for a project conceived as India’s premier institute for film, communication, and creative arts, the Chief Minister’s Office told that PM Modi was in Mumbai.
However, when called by his Secretary, PM Modi asked him to request Ghai to stay back that night and join him for breakfast the following morning at the Chief Minister’s residence.
During the presentation, Ghai voiced how India’s culture could be integrated into education, where artistic perspectives are crucial for the development of children, regardless of which part of the country they are from.
PM Modi appreciated Ghai’s thoughts and asked what he needed, to which Ghai requested for a piece of land near the airport for teachers to be able to access conveniently.
The then Gujarat Chief Minister Modi instructed his Secretaries to find suitable land along the highway, and asked Ghai to call him directly if his Secretaries were busy.
The filmmaker was impressed how PM Modi made it certain to keep his promise.
In a separate rendition that reflects his qualities depicting commitment, leadership, and innovative thinking, he once overcame glitches with an out-of-the-box solution while addressing an election rally.
It was in 2007, when PM Modi was in Pauri on the campaign trail in Uttarakhand that there was a power cut.
While others would have stopped, waiting for electricity supply to be restored, the then Chief Minister continued to address for about 40 minutes, moving closer to the crowds.
The then Defence Secretary, R.K. Mathur, remembers in another clip his briefing on safety and security measures the night before Independence Day for PM Modi’s maiden appearance on the ramparts of Red Fort as the Prime Minister.
He apparently chose “people over his security”, insisting that the bullet-proof glass pane in front of the podium be removed.
He turned down all requests from Mathur and the then Intelligence Bureau Chief Prafulla Chandra Haldar, and the panel was subsequently removed “at 2 a.m.”, the former bureaucrat adds.
Another anecdote comes from Surinder Jain, an expatriate, who recounts his interaction with then Chief Minister Modi during the latter’s Australia visit.
In 2001, he remembers, PM Modi even went to the remote Christmas Island just to study the way he can develop sand islands in Gujarat.
For him, visits are more than power meetings and sightseeing.
Such narrations show a leader’s thoughts, vision, and commitment, where Prime Minister Modi’s respect for the country’s brave soldiers comes through a tradition he holds since 2014 to spend Diwali with jawans at the frontlines, often in the most challenging terrains, from Siachen to Kargil, Jaisalmer to Nowshera.
These visits reflect his intent to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with soldiers, reinforcing their morale and the nation’s gratitude.
IANS
