MODI: EPITOME OF SELFLESSNESS, SIMPLICITY

PM Modi: The Perfect CEO of India Inc.
A systems thinker with the unique ability to compartmentalize not just his own life but the rigors of everyday work, a perfectionist with an exemplary sense of punctuality and efficiency, a pioneer of the infotech revolution in India, PM Modi has been navigating his countrymen onto the path of progress and development with greater insight and vision than the CEOs of global organizations.

It was 1994 and I remember PM Modi was the party Secretary then. He is a true visionary and believes in simple living and high thinking. What is amazing about Modiji is that so many years ago he was so immersed in technology that people like us and most others did not even have a clue of what Modiji was already an expert at. I was associated with media and was in the profession that demanded staying up-to-date with latest tech developments, but Modiji has never had nay parallel in the realm of technology. In 1996 and 1997, Modiji possessed an email account and would communicate over email. I don’t remember sending out emails even in ‘98 or couple of years down the line. Can we think of this! Modiji had a Nokia Communicator at a time when we were struggling with those bulky mobile phones. He owned that sleek device for communication, used a laptop and had an exceptionally professional approach towards work. What made him stand apart from everyone was that while he would own state of the art technology and use it like a pro, his demeanour and conduct was always simple. The know how of technology did not alter the way he connected with the masses, always at the ground level. He was the first leader to draw the attention of the political community towards the diverse uses of social media. He was one of the earliest adopters of Twitter and Facebook in Indian politics. A lot of other politicians who initially criticized the use of social media in politics started making prolific use of it subsequently. They understood much later that social media establishes a direct connect with the people. Modiji has always been the pioneer of technological revolution in India and its presence in our dayto-day life.

Modiji is a very keen observer of life. He has imbibed lessons from his own experiences, from books, from his interaction with people from diverse walks of life, the lives of other people and this depth and wisdom is reflected in the way he leads his life. I have heard him speak about his observations about children and the fact is, my child does exactly that! He has observed about how children behave when they return home from school, he has made observations about the relationship between children and their grandparents and parents and others, how they grow up as individuals and create an identity for themselves - this quality of observing and knowing life from every angle is remarkable about Modiji and I don’t think any politician possesses it to this extent!

Another thing, I have never seen him getting angry! Ordinary people like us often lose our temper though we try not to. Not that we don’t give a long rope to people and our staff but we still end up getting impatient if some work is not accomplished as per our requirements. But I have never, ever found Modiji raising his voice or losing his patience with any person.

A CM’s office is a hub of activity. Some 60 to 200 people are always present at a given time in a CM’s office. Some are there, well, just to show their faces. Some MLAs seeking positions in the government, wanting to become ministers, some other who want to get some work done, but Modiji works better than a CEO. His sense of punctuality is impeccable. If you have an appointment for 3 pm, you will get to meet the CM at 3 pm and not some couple of hours later or the next day.

Time management and punctuality are his hallmark. His office, as active CM, was always bustling with energy. Work is accomplished and without wasting any time there. Also, he has a penchant or a preference for meeting specialists. His table would be super clean, the files would never be pending and not even a paper on the table. Swachhta has been his motto in every aspect of life since childhood. It is not that he does not receive files but nothing is kept pending at Modiji’s office.

Another thing that he has been very clear about in his communication to everyone is - his policy about not discussing any upcoming elections. He tells people very categorically “Elections are not my priority. I prepare for elections only four months prior. I focus on my state and its requirements.” A lot of people have an inclination towards preparing for the next elections from the very first day. They start thinking of ways to woo certain communities or take decisions to influence a certain section of society. But for Modiji, that has never been the case. Nothing could ever deter him from taking decisions for the welfare of the state. Development of the country and the state are his priority. He is never under political pressure or burdened by the considerations of what will benefit him in the coming elections, this has never been Modiji’s policy or interest. Politics is not his life, it is just one aspect of his work. Flawless and futuristic governance has been his focus always and his views of life, of working and developing a bond with people have been kept separate from politics.

I remember he was under tremendous pressure in about 2001 when MLAs were pressurizing him to make them ministers, others wanted him to make them chairmen of organizations and they would complain to the party high command. But Modiji never surrendered to such pressures. His line of action was clear - he wanted to work for Jan Kalyan, the welfare of the masses and he never succumbed to individual demands. He is not there to work for individuals but the collective progress of the country and development of the masses. His stance was firm - he would never let down the glory of a position or a chair. Every post comes with responsibility and accountability. Irrespective of who is upset or not, Modiji would always do what is right and morally correct. He is not someone to be pressurized to do things that are against his high philosophy of life. TO BE CONTINUED...

COMPILED AND EDITED BY SHASHIKANT SHARMA AND SHWETA SHARMA

‘HE WAS ONE OF THE EARLIEST ADOPTERS OF TWITTER AND FB IN INDIAN POLITICS’ - GVL Narsimha Rao, Rajya Sabha MP
Alot of other politicians who initially criticized the use of social media in politics started making prolific use of it subsequently. They understood much later that social media establishes a direct connect with people. Modiji has always been the pioneer of technological revolution in India & its presence in our daily lives. Modiji had a Nokia Communicator at a time when we were struggling with those bulky mobiles. He owned that sleek device for communication, used a laptop & had an exceptionally professional approach towards work. What made him stand apart from everyone was that while he would own state of the art technology & use it like a pro, his conduct was always simple.