NaMo EFFECT RESOLVING AND RESONATING

The narrators share their experiences of interacting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting how he promptly addresses their problems and also takes immediate steps to resolve their issues. Additionally, Modi instantly connects with his audience whenever he speaks and lots more...

PM Modi’s support for sports is unprecedented - Anju Bobby George, Athlete

My first interaction with PM Modi sir was during Patel run in Delhi. We shared the stage together. So, after the event he asked me many things and during the conversation I conveyed to him the different problems of athletes in the country. To this, the PM responded immediately and called his PA, urging me to explain the things to that person so that action could be taken up immediately. I was surprised that the PMO itself took cognizance of our issues and so promptly took steps to solve them. I also found for the first time that Modi ji was deeply interested in sports and knew about every athlete and his/her performance. I came to know that before every major championship, the PM himself calls up the athlete/athletes concerned to motivate them and wish them the best for the event, and big send-offs are organised regularly. Even after every championship we are celebrating each victory in a big way due to the personal initiative of the PM, which was never the way earlier. And more than that, because of the interest and involvement of the PM, there has been a lot of change in our system over these years of the Modi government. Lot of good infrastructure is coming up and competitive events are being organised even at the grassroots level in remote areas to bring out hidden talents to the mainstream. This is a major boost for the country’s sports prospects. All athletes are happy because we have never seen such aggressive branding and promotion of sports in India before. This momentum that has been created by the PM will continue and go a long way in taking the country forward in this sphere. The support we are getting now from the system is unprecedented. The PM takes personal interest in all our affairs, even our family’s wellbeing, and talks to us like a friend so that we feel confident and rest assured that we don’t have any trouble in perusing our professions with utmost dedication and diligence, since the prime minister of the country is behind us with all his support.

Modi ji rises above party politics when it comes to nation’s welfare - Milind Deora, Shiv Sena MP

I remember, when Pramod Mahajan ji passed away and I was in Dadar for his funeral, I met Modi ji for the first time. There were several ministers of the Central government in attendance at the solemn occasion. Modi ji was the Chief Minister of Gujarat at that time. A small makeshift stage was rigged up at the venue where the ministers and CMs were to be seated. The front rows were reserved for the Union ministers, CMs and senior leaders of the BJP, while the seats for the MPs, including me, and other lesser VIPs were behind them. I was a young MP, all of 27 years, elected to the Parliament for the first time. Understandably, very few people knew me or recognised me. Modi ji was seated just in front of me…the distance between his chair and mine was minimal. As a courtesy, I stood up and greeted him with folded hands. I saw him sitting and then cleaning his eyeglasses. Soon after that, he turned around and said, ‘Milind bhai, how are you?’ I was shocked and surprised to realise that he knew who I was. Then he asked me whether the place we were in at that time fell under my constituency or my neighbouring constituency. So, I instantly felt he was very aware of things happening not just around him but in the field of geo-politics beyond his immediate realm of affairs too and it came to me that he was a man with his ears very much to the ground. I also realised in my subsequent meetings with him that he recognises you, remembers you and puts the right name to your face, which is very necessary in public life and the hallmark of great leadership. What is a matter of great joy for our family is that when Modi ji went to Houston to campaign for Donald Trump and he addressed the Indian diaspora at the NRG stadium there, at that time there was a tweet by him that said that he was missing his friend Murli Deora ji at this time who had took a lot of effort to strengthen ties between India and the US. Murli bhai must be very proud of this. He said, when Modi ji is respected worldwide, it is not just Modi’s triumph but the triumph of India. Through the PM, the entire 140 crore people of India are getting that respect. My friend Murli Deora must be very proud of all the hard work he did to improve the relations between the two countries, Modi ji said. This was a moment of pride for us in the family as well as in the party and in our supporters. We realised that Modi ji has the ability to rise to the occasion and rise above party lines to give credit to people where they merit it, for his larger focus remains steadfast on what is good for the country and humanity.

Narendra Modi is incredibly responsive - Mithun Chakraborty, Actor

As soon as I Joined the BJP, I got the opportunity to meet PM Modi ji on the stage. He gave a speech on the occasion. I was observing, and you all must be knowing that Modi ji establishes an instant bond with the audience when he speaks. The human connect is impeccable. He feels the pulse of the people and knows exactly what to say to them. He knows how to connect with the audience and involve them. This is the greatest attribute of a leader who can connect with his people. See, I am also an actor. And for a long time at that. We actors also tend to develop an understanding of the people we meet and talk to and know if they are genuine and original in their thought, approach and intentions or fake. Modi sir is so natural. He is naturally affable. While we were leaving the state, he called me and said, Mithun da, I want to speak with you. I was quite surprised. Taking out time from his busy schedule, he sat with me for over 10 minutes. And in those 10 minutes, he explained to me so many things, guiding me through the complex alleys of politics enumerating what I should do and what I shouldn’t. Then he called his secretary and asked him to provide his personal number to me. Simultaneously, he also advised me to call him up directly without hesitation whenever I felt the need. I was overwhelmed by his gesture. He left after the event, but those 10 minutes were charismatic and remain etched in my mind forever. It is not just because he was the PM talking to me personally in a friendly manner but because of his responsiveness and his natural behaviour, which created an impact on me. The maximum time, if I remember correctly, he ever took to respond to me is 23 minutes. Once I sent him a text message and he was in a different time zone, perhaps in Germany, and he took that much time to respond. Even if he is busy at a time, he would usually reply, saying ‘tomorrow’ or give another time. His normal turnaround time is not more than 10-15 minutes. Who am I in the party? I may be a known actor, but in the party, I am nothing, just a karyakarta. Why would the PM be concerned about me? But such is Modi sir’s nature. When he has asked me to consult in case of any problem and committed to help me out, he would stand by it, no matter what. That’s the kind of responsiveness that behoves a great leader. Not just me, he will never reply to anyone with vague statements like ‘Let’s see’ or ‘Let me check’. I keep away from such people because I know they never ‘see’. Modi sir is one who will straightaway call that person in need and tell him, ‘Meet me. We will sort it.’ Such is the man, PM of our nation, a committed doer.

COMPILED AND EDITED BY SHASHIKANT SHARMA