MODI’S Mastery From Experience TO Excellence

The narrators highlight how PM Narendra Modi leverages his experience for a noble cause to tackle challenging tasks that demand commitment, awareness, honesty, and sagacity, the beginning of Modi’s rise, as the national leadership recognized his abilities, and there was no looking back for him thereafter and lots more...

Modi ji did what no leader had thought in 56 years - Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister

I was privileged to be India’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva when PM Narendra Modi ji (then CM of Gujarat) visited Geneva in 2003 to honor the last wish of the great patriot Shyamji Krishna Varma and bring his ashes home to India, 56 years after independence. No other leader in independent India had thought of doing this. PM Narendra Modi ji not only brought the ashes back but also laid them to rest in Shyamji’s birthplace, Mandvi (Gujarat), and created a befitting memorial.

In July-August 2003, I received a phone call from him. He said, “I was intending to visit London during your posting. I am on my way to London now, but while returning, I will also visit Geneva.” I was aware of Shyamji and that his ashes, along with his wife’s, were kept in the Geneva cemetery. I had just come from London to Geneva in my new posting and remained there until the beginning of 2006. So, I had the privilege of hosting Modi ji.

I was also honored to host the function at the Geneva cemetery to bring back the ashes of the great freedom fighter to India. The urns were handed over to CM Modi, and he brought them back to Gujarat. The rest is history, as they say.

An imposing memorial was established over a large area. Here was a man who had dedicated his entire life to the cause of the nation, who had espoused the cause of India’s freedom until the end. He had entered into an agreement with the Swiss government to keep his and his wife’s ashes in their cemetery in case India didn’t win freedom, or until it did, and to transfer them back to India only when the country achieved independence. It is surprising, as well as shocking, that so many leaders went to Geneva for years, but no one thought of doing what Modi ji did. He became a catalyst in fulfilling the dream of this freedom fighter. It is a truly fascinating story.

This is just one episode in the long experience of public service of our honorable Prime Minister, with which I had the fortunate chance to be associated. But the real credit goes to him for how he drew from his experience and used it for a noble cause to accomplish a tough task that required commitment, awareness, honesty, and sagacity.

Modi’s Haryana strategy marked the beginning of his ascendency - Ashok Tandon, Former media advisor to PM Vajpayee

Narendra Modi was made in charge of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. He delved deeply into the political intricacies of the states and built the party’s organizational setup in a way that strengthened its roots. Narendra bhai also played a pivotal role in forging an alliance with Bansi Lal’s Haryana Vikas Party (HVK) during the 1996 elections, marking his emergence as a key strategist within the party at the national level. Bansi Lal was the right-hand man of Indira Gandhi and was often referred to as a staunch devotee (bhakt) of hers. A veteran of the Congress party, Bansi Lal was a stalwart who had also served as the country’s defense minister. It was sheer acumen on Narendra Modi’s part that allowed him to bring Bansi Lal to his side and form an alliance with him. This masterstroke led to the first BJP government in Haryana through the HVK coalition. Modi established a personal rapport with Bansi Lal, which contributed to this success. This was Modi’s first assignment in Delhi, and he accomplished it successfully for his party. The BJP’s success in Haryana was groundbreaking and brought about a paradigm shift in politics with pan-Indian implications. The party, which had previously struggled to win 5-6 seats in the state, managed to form the government. This was historic, and the credit for this largely goes to Narendra bhai, as he single-handedly led the party to this position through organizational restructuring and strategic redrawing. This marked the beginning of Modi’s rise, as the national leadership gained insight into his abilities, and there was no looking back for him thereafter.

COMPILED AND EDITED BY SHASHIKANT SHARMA