Recently, the Amrit Mahotsav of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was celebrated. As a saint of a global religious and social organisation, whenever I reflect on him, one thing stands out clearly: age and challenges have never been obstacles for him.
Since Modi Saheb became the Chief Minister of Gujarat and later the Prime Minister, I have had the privilege of meeting him on numerous occasions over the past 11 years. My most recent meeting took place last month (August 2025) in Delhi. Among these many interactions, one memory remains particularly vivid.
First impressions: A glimpse of service
Back in 1981, a few of us teenagers travelled from England to India to receive initiation from H.H. Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual head of BAPS. At that time, Ahmedabad was hosting the bicentenary celebrations of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. We were aspirants, dressed in white dhotis and robes, performing whatever service was assigned to us. My responsibility was to guide the dignitaries around the sprawling 200-acre festival grounds.
One evening, during a bhajan-sandhya by the singer Anup Jalota, I escorted Anupji to Swamishri. Swamishri was seated on a sofa, Anupji on a nearby chair and I sat on the floor. Right beside me, cross-legged, was a young Narendrabhai, about thirty years old. He looked at me and asked, “Are you going to take initiation?” I nodded. That moment marked my first glimpse of him.
Suddenly, Narendrabhai’s attention shifted to Swamishri’s feet. Swamishri sat on the sofa in his characteristic posture, one leg folded crosswise and the other resting atop it. As they spoke, Narendrabhai subtly bent his right foot, aligning and comparing the lines of his sole with those of Swamishri. Noticing this, Swamishri gently covered his foot with his dhoti and smiling warmly, said, “The lines on both our feet are the same, the line of service. The line of serving until the very last breath.”
This moment, which occurred nearly 44 years ago, is one Narendrabhai still recalls frequently, saying, “I have placed Swamishri’s command to serve until the last breath upon my head.” Two weeks after this incident, we received our parshadi diksha.
A gesture of thoughtfulness
The next incident took place in 2000, during the groundbreaking ceremony of Delhi Akshardham. H.H. Pramukh Swami Maharaj was seated on the stage, with a massive crowd gathered before him. Suddenly, Swamishri called out to me: “Can you see Narendra Modi?” Scanning the assembly, I replied, “No, Swami, I can’t spot him.”
Pointing, he said, “Look, he’s sitting far away. After the ceremony, everyone will be offering coins into the foundation pit. Narendrabhai won’t have anything with him. Please make arrangements for him.”
At that time, I believe Narendrabhai was serving as the General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Making my way through the crowd, I reached him, and requested a devotee to give Narendrabhai some change, and said, “Swami has asked me to do this. Perhaps you don’t have money in your pocket, so…”
Holding the change in his palm, he grew emotional: “For the spiritual head of such a large organisation to notice me from the stage and make such an arrangement is truly unimaginable.”
One year after this incident, Narendrabhai became the Chief Minister of Gujarat. In this way, by the age of seventy-five, he had also completed twenty-five years in active politics.
Commitment to education and values
In 2006, he visited Raysan village near Gandhinagar to inaugurate the newly constructed BAPS Swaminarayan Vidyamandir complex. In fact, it had been his own suggestion to create a comprehensive educational complex that would ensure the all-round development of students.
Following the inauguration ceremony, we planned a visit to the nursery building within the complex. In the car were Pramukh Swami, Modi Saheb, myself and Ishwarcharandas Swami. As the car stopped at the building’s entrance and the driver stepped out, in a quiet, private moment, Modi Saheb gently touched Pramukh Swami’s hand and said, “With all these everyday problems, false accusations and reading the news about them, sometimes I feel like leaving everything and taking up renunciation.”
At that time Swamishri gave a very beautiful reply. He said: “Never get tired of doing good work. Never lose in doing good work. Never stop doing good work.”
Hearing this, Narendrabhai said: “Swamiji, I will remember these words till my last breath.” Even after becoming Prime Minister, Narendrabhai recalls this incident and says: “Those words have become a principle for me.”
Leadership recognised globally
In 2017, Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull visited Delhi Akshardham, accompanied by Modiji. As we walked, we reached the main temple, where both distinguished leaders had darshan of Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s murti. On this occasion, I shared the story of the groundbreaking ceremony with Malcolm Turnbull and added: “Right now, we are standing on the very foundation of this magnificent cultural complex. When the foundation was laid, Mr Modi did not even have a single rupee to his name, which speaks volumes about his integrity. Today, he stands here as the Prime Minister of India.”
It is worth noting that Malcolm Turnbull is an extremely wealthy politician, with assets in the billions. What I wanted to highlight was that here stood side by side one of the richest leaders in the world and another who owns no property or wealth. Malcolm Turnbull remarked, “Even though Mr Modi has nothing, today everyone aspires to be like him, because he has earned the love and trust of millions.”
Yes, Narendrabhai moves among the people; through tireless effort and keen intellect, he has risen to his current position. He works 18–20 hours a day, personally following up on every task.
Dedication in times of crisis
One incident that illustrates this comes to mind: when the Ukraine–Russia war began, I was in Abu Dhabi. Around eleven o’clock at night, I received a call from him, in India, it was half-past twelve. Modi Saheb said, “We are currently holding a meeting with central ministers and officials.” On the phone, he humbly requested me, “For the students trapped in the war, set up a relief camp where both our students and those from other countries can find shelter.”
By six o’clock in the morning, with the blessings of Guruhari Mahant Swami, BAPS’s relief camp was established in Rzeszów village near the Poland border. Arrangements were made not only for Indian students but also for Pakistani, Sri Lankan and other international students, ensuring safe accommodation, meals and a secure return. Just imagine: at half-past twelve at night, Modi Saheb was awake for the students, leading meetings, never tiring in his dedication to service.
If someone were to ask me to introduce the statesman and the person Narendra Modi in a few words, it would be like this: a world leader who inspires the world, whom other leaders aspire to emulate; a leader whose every heartbeat resonates for global harmony; a leader making India great by helping the world become greater; a person whose singular focus is the nation.
Narendra Modi is a true friend with shoulders of steel, a head of silver and a heart of gold. A man who never loses, never tires and never shies from the truth. A visionary who grasps new ideas instantly, analyses them swiftly and puts them into action. His cultural roots are profound and so too is his love for the nation and his faith in God.
(Source: Chitralekha)
