NaMo RESPECTS VETERAN POLITICAL ACUMEN

The narrators emphasize Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s deep respect for the extensive experience and wisdom of leaders within NDA allies. PM Modi has consistently championed women’s empowerment in politics, starting at the grassroots level of the party. The PM’s innovative approach to governance is always aimed at serving the greater good of the country.

PM Modi holds my father in high esteem - Chirag Paswan, President, Lok Janshakti Party

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always held immense respect and appreciation for the longstanding experience and wisdom of leaders in allies within the NDA. One such ally was Lok Janshakti Party of my father late Ram Vilas Paswan, whose insights and expertise were highly valued by Modi ji.

Paswan’s contribution to Modi’s cabinet was not only significant but also deeply cherished by Narendra Modi. Since the early days when my father joined the NDA in 2014, PM Modi always treated him with great respect and affection till his last day. Modi ji saw him not just as a political colleague but also as a close friend, a brother, a compatriot, which he still mentions proudly and emotionally on every platform he speaks from.

Ram Vilas Paswan served in Modi’s cabinet for many years, and their professional relationship evolved into a strong and beautiful personal bond. It is a matter of pride for our family whenever Narendra Modi publicly acknowledges that my father worked tirelessly for the nation and the Prime Minister until his last breath. PM Modi appreciated every effort made by my father and my father was also a dedicated soldier of the PM and the country who always thought for the betterment of the underdogs and the marginalised.

Even years after my father’s passing, the Prime Minister continues to honour his memory on every platform, calling him a friend, companion, and a close associate. This means a lot to our family.

I also recall the great care and concern PM Modi showed towards our family when my father was hospitalised. He would call twice every day without fail! He would not only ask about my father’s health but also speak to expert doctors across the country from Chennai to AIIMS and give us regular feedback on what would be best for my father’s treatment. Imagine the Prime Minister of the country himself taking a personal initiative for the wellbeing of a leader of his ally! It has to be something special for the family, especially given the crisis we were going through.

In every cabinet meeting, Modi ji sought Ram Vilas Paswan’s advice, recognising his deep connection with the people and his ability to understand their sentiments. Modi ji respected my father’s perspectives and ensured the inclusion of the same in all major government committees and empowered groups that were formed to decide important matters of the country. Prime Minister Modi leveraged Ram Vilas Paswan’s extensive experience, gained over five decades in politics and working with six Prime Ministers, to the fullest. Modi ji’s respect for my father’s knowledge and contributions in governance and administration remains evident, showcasing his commitment to valuing and honouring the wisdom of astute leaders even if not belonging to his own party.

Modi ji strengthened party in Himachal by raising women’s participation - Urmila Thakur, Former MLA, Himachal Pradesh

From his early days in the party as the general secretary of Gujarat BJP or as the in-charge of various states, Narendra Modi stood for promoting women’s empowerment in politics, starting from the smallest unit of the party. It was way back in the ‘90s when Modi emphasised the inclusion of women at all levels of the organisation, starting from the booth. He was in-charge of Himachal Pradesh and he used to tour every assembly constituency at that time. As I was the district president of the Mahila Morcha (women’s wing) I used to accompany him on those travels. We would catch the bus in the morning and reach the constituency. A district meeting was once held at Nadaun. There was no Shakti Kendra concept in vogue here till that time and only polling booths were in existence. Even at the booths, there were only one or two party men in attendance. That was the way it was in those days. Modi ji saw this and said, we must have a full team to attend to the booths. The number of members in each booth should be in proportion to the population in that constituency and there must be some women members in each team. He said if women get more participation more and more people will get associated with the party. So that larger participation of women as they joined in had a great impact in the voting patterns and this indeed helped the party. Modi ji also mooted the idea of Shakti Kendras. He said there must be one Shakti Kendra for every 5-6 polling booths to monitor and coordinate the functioning of those booths and each Shakti Kendra must have women members. We found after this idea was implemented there was a substantial increase in the number of women faces in the polling booths and Shakti Kendras. The whole scenario in Himachal Pradesh changed and the number of people coming to vote also increased substantially due to these measures that came out of the vision of Modi ji.

Narendra Modi’s innovative approach to governance boost bureaucracy - PK Sinha, Former Cabinet Secretary

IAS officers undergo two years of training before their field posting - one year at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie and another year of field experience. The government under Narendra Modi introduced a new plan to offer these new officers an exposure of how things work at the Centre before their actual posting. This was never done earlier. Under the Assistant Secretary Programme, before their official postings to different states, the fresh batch of IAS officers is these days are attached to the Government of India for three months, giving them in turn some valuable experience in the nitty gritty of governance at the highest level, which they can carry with them when managing administration at the grassroots level thousands of miles away from the power centre. Assigned to different ministries, they are given the opportunity to suggest improvements for the specific departments. They are also asked to prepare a presentation with their new ideas, the seven selected best among which are then presented to the prime minister for his appraisal. As I was instrumental in implementing the scheme, I had the opportunity of having close interaction with PM Narendra Modi and seeing him work upclose. I found him always attracted to new ideas and inclined towards experimentation. He himself will go through the best presentations and see what new ideas can be adopted by the government. Many a times new ideas have indeed been adopted and implemented in different departments or ministries. Additionally, the PM would also offer his own inputs and suggestions to improve governance. This unique stint allows fresh IAS officers to gain exposure to policy-making at the highest level early in their careers, as also to understand the government’s policy and focus. Additionally, the government also benefits from their fresh ideas and suggestions. This single initiative tells a lot about PM Modi’s innovative approach to governance that is directed towards the greater good of the country.

COMPILED AND EDITED BY SHASHIKANT SHARMA