NEW DELHI: At the recent international fintech conference in Mumbai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi instilled confidence in hundreds of experienced and young managers from the financial sector about the immense possibilities and success awaiting them, saying, “I will return to speak to you again at a similar conference in 2029.” This statement resonated as far as London and Washington. A friend of mine from the financial sector in London called and asked, “Narendra Modi’s self-confidence is remarkable. He has just won a third term, and he’s already talking about serving as Prime Minister for a fourth term in 2029 to further boost the fintech revolution, declaring that India will be a developed nation by 2047. What will his age be by then?” I responded, “Well, if you do the math, he was born on September 17, 1950, so he will be 79 in 2029 and 97 in 2047. But what does age matter? His mantra is: “When we decide to do something, we can go miles ahead.” So, instead of counting years, Modi focuses on setting goals for himself and the nation and crafting detailed plans for their execution. Moreover, in our tradition, we bless people with a long life, and Modi’s mother lived to be 99.
Truly, there is no other leader in the world today with such self-confidence and vision. On September 17, the nation will celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 74th birthday. The BJP and his supporters will observe it as a “Sewa Pakhwada” until Gandhi Jayanti on October 2. From his school days, Narendra Modi has always excelled in public speaking and leadership roles, while helping the poor around him and aspiring to improve their lives. Power, wealth, and success are secondary to him—what matters more is his ability to fight and his steadfastness to his values. Therefore, I find it more meaningful to discuss Modi’s journey of struggle and his victories at every step, rather than simply analyzing his position as Prime Minister and his political successes. Perhaps there are very few journalists in the capital today who were in Gujarat between 1972 and 1976 as reporters. That’s why I want to start from there. As a correspondent for Hindustan Samachar (news agency) between 1973 and 1976, I had the opportunity to cover a Congress convention, the Gujarat student movement against Chimanbhai Patel, and later, during the Emergency in 1975, I stayed in Ahmedabad for almost eight months reporting full-time. During the Emergency, Narendra Modi was underground, playing a crucial role in maintaining contact with leaders of the RSS and Jan Sangh and delivering secret information about the government’s oppression.
Coincidentally, Narendra Modi’s younger brother Pankaj Modi also worked at the Hindustan Samachar office. During that time, Pankaj Bhai and bureau chief Bhupat Parikh shared insights into Modi’s deep commitment to the RSS and social service from his teenage years and his impressive writing skills. Therefore, I can say that Narendra Modi played an important role in underground activities during the Emergency, disguising himself and leading operations against the government. Before his arrest, even socialist leader George Fernandes came to Gujarat in disguise and sought assistance from Narendra Modi.
Congress leaders like Ravindra Verma, who opposed the Emergency, collaborated with him. Modi wrote his first book, “Aapaatkaal Mein Gujarat”, during this period, when he was still young and actively involved in the underground movement against the Emergency. The book, written in Gujarati, describes the hardships of the time. It’s said that Modi even gave up food while writing the book, surviving on lemon water for 23 days to complete it.
This phase of struggle likely taught Narendra Modi how to climb the thorny and rocky steps of national politics. While power may not have been his goal, his determination to serve society and the nation, even in the most difficult circumstances, has been evident throughout his life. The clearest proof of this resolve was seen when, just a few months after the BJP’s re-election with a full majority, Modi’s government made a historic decision to abrogate Article 370, which had granted temporary special status to Kashmir, effectively rewriting the democratic history of India. Many mistakenly believe that this idea occurred to Modi due to immediate political or economic conditions. However, we, as journalists, remember that from 1995-96, as the general secretary of the BJP, he dedicated himself to strengthening the party’s organization in states like Haryana, Punjab, Himachal, and Jammu & Kashmir. During discussions, he often focused on Jammu & Kashmir because the BJP needed to establish a political base there. Even while in the RSS, he frequently visited Jammu & Kashmir. But in the 1990s, terrorism was rampant. During US President Bill Clinton’s visit to India, terrorists killed 36 Sikhs in Chattisinghpora, Kashmir. As the BJP in-charge of the region, Narendra Modi immediately travelled to Kashmir, reaching the affected area by road without any security or police assistance. Farooq Abdullah, then the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, was alarmed upon learning this and called Modi, saying, “How did you get there? There are reports of landmines along the roads laid by terrorists. If something happens to you, I’ll be in trouble.” Farooq Abdullah even complained to BJP leader L.K. Advani, who also called Modi, but Modi calmly responded that he would only return after the victims’ funerals were completed. Modi always had a clear reply for such situations: “I do not fear life or death while fulfilling my duty.” His fearless travels through the remote areas of Jammu & Kashmir gave him a deep understanding of the region’s problems, and he nurtured a vision of developing the state as one of India’s prosperous regions. Even as a young man, Modi was captivated by the Himalayas. He felt no discomfort in regions like Leh-Ladakh, where people often struggle with a lack of oxygen. Before 2001, Modi had also travelled to Ladakh, Tibet, Mansarovar, and Mount Kailash, where he dreamt of creating an easier route for thousands of Indians to visit. One hopes that in the coming years, Ladakh and Kashmir will become more accessible and attractive than even Switzerland. Modi’s efforts to improve relations with countries like the U.S., Europe, and China are also aimed at ensuring prosperity for the entire Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh region. That’s why Ladakh was granted Union Territory status, and Jammu & Kashmir was also temporarily made a Union Territory to provide its citizens with the same rights and laws as the rest of India. After local Panchayat and Lok Sabha elections, Assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir are now being planned like other states.
Interestingly, news of prosperity in Kashmir has led people in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to look to Modi with hopes of liberation.
Just as the Himalayas are dear to his heart, the Narmada river is also deeply connected to Modi. While no one can rival his attachment to the river, my own background in Ujjain-Indore-Omkareshwar has given me the opportunity to write about the political controversies surrounding the sharing of Narmada’s waters since 1973-74, as well as its ancient significance and the potential of utilizing Narmada’s water power for modern development. As a result, I’ve had several conversations with Modi about the Narmada river during his time in BJP leadership and as Gujarat’s Chief Minister. A few years ago, I worked on a book on the importance and cultural heritage of the Narmada river, and I sent Modi a request to write its foreword. He carefully read through the manuscript and sent a beautifully written foreword, despite his busy schedule. Later, he also sent an impactful message for a book I wrote on social reforms in India. Modi’s love for books and reading has never waned. Even after becoming Prime Minister, his reading habits have not diminished. He still finds time to read late into the night, and the number of books in his personal library has increased rapidly over the last decade. During foreign trips, heads of state and government officials, aware of Modi’s love for books, often gift him rare volumes. Let’s hope that his government and the technologically advanced ministries will prioritize making books and libraries accessible to millions of Indians.
Modi’s government is also implementing numerous social reform programs in line with the ideals and dreams of Swami Vivekananda, Dayananda Saraswati, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, and Mahatma Gandhi. Narendra Modi is now regarded as one of the world’s foremost leaders, but I believe he takes more satisfaction in ensuring clean water and electricity for villages, education for girls, housing, toilets, gas connections, electricity, roads for the poor, and health insurance through the Ayushman Bharat scheme, than in the achievements of space missions to Mars and the Moon. The many new self-employment initiatives and schemes for women’s empowerment have helped him secure a third term in office. Thus, I disagree with the notion that Modi initially focused on industrialists due to the industrial development in Gujarat and only later shifted attention to rural areas after facing criticism of being a “suit-boot government”. After all, Modi’s childhood and the first 50 years of his life were spent primarily in the slums, villages, and forests. Concern for the poor is not limited to any political party or ideology.
There is no doubt that Narendra Modi’s philosophy is grounded in knowledge, people, water, energy, economic, and defense power. His focus seems to remain on these areas day and night. That’s why he finds it easy to connect India’s village councils and even distant Indian expatriates to his programs and initiatives.
Campaigns like Yoga, Swachh Bharat, Ayushman Bharat, etc, can truly make India powerful and prosperous. The global community acknowledges that India’s position in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic has been better than most affluent developed countries. Alongside eliminating terrorists, a constructive path of socio-economic development is also essential to combat terrorism. This is why, due to Narendra Modi’s efforts, the world stands with India, and many Islamic countries have distanced themselves from Pakistan. Therefore, moving beyond politics, controversies, and challenges, Narendra Modi’s firm resolve and dreams as a people’s leader deserve congratulations and best wishes on his birthday and for his good work this time as well.