Glaring at the white walls, we waited anxiously in the visitor’s room bedecked with classical musical instruments and harmonious paintings. Adorned with antiques and traditional pieces, the place embodied our vibrant history and rich culture. This August was an informal familial meeting with him, a first with my children. We were invited to meet up on the special occasion of our 15th wedding anniversary. Holding a box of homemade Double Ka Meetha– Telangana’s delicacy, surrounded by the exquisite ambience of the Prime Minister’s residence, my mind traveled down the memory lane, reviewing every past occasion I have gotten together with him.
Previously, I had an appointment last year on 17th March, a 16-minute one-on-one political colloquy where we discussed Telangana and I shared my vision of strengthening BJP in Telangana. I still recall with gratitude an incident that taught me the spirit of charity and social welfare in the most straightforward words. When I was newly elected as MP in 2019, we met at his residence with a group of other young MPs, there was a small discussion about the Arvind Dharmapuri Foundation and he simply said, “Activities like these bring a sense of satisfaction and self-motivation to do more. Will help you in the long term, generally in life”.
When I decided to join politics in 2017, I immediately knew this was the party I wanted to be associated with. Coming from a political background, I embraced the subtle nuances of statecraft and learned the virtues of patriotism early on in my life. Everybody has an inherent individual interface with their cultural heritage, and it is in my recollections of growing up with my grandfather that structured my patriotism and beliefs. Ironically, I would have stayed miles away from politics if not for this one person who influenced me profoundly towards sincerity, devotion, and commitment to our country, i.e., Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji. I took a plunge in politics to strengthen Modi Ji because I believe, and have said this previously many times that “Strengthening Modi Ji is serving my country.” This is the mantra that fuels me to dedicate myself truly to him.
Today is Modi Ji’s 71st birthday. In December 2018, I met him for the first time when he visited Nizamabad to campaign for the Telangana assembly elections. I was in the reception committee, and my excitement knew no bounds. I was planning on saying something, but when we received him at the helipad, all I could muster up was a humble “Namaste.” I admit I was star-struck. I was astonished at the professionalism of his campaign and his attention to each detail.
After meeting him a few times now, I feel that Modi Ji has tremendous memory power. After the first meeting, he now addresses me by my first name whenever he meets me; he remembers it strongly. Modi Ji motivates us to build the party, build constituencies, motivates us to work more. Despite him working for 18-19 hours a day, he is always energetic and fresh. You will never feel that he is disinterested because he is always smiling and paying utmost attention to you, a great listener indeed!
It is said that it takes a moment to make memories and that we do not remember days; we remember moments. This recent meeting was undoubtedly one of those moments for my family. My sons were excited, but my wife and I were just nervously hoping my four-year-old, mischievous younger one would not do anything untoward. In fact, in that half-hour, Modi Ji spent most of our time playing with Rudraksh, tugging at his ear, and interacting with him. We were scared, we didn’t want him to react when the Prime Minister was twitching his ears. Luckily for us, he didn’t react. How did we make that possible? I guess our prayers worked. The same day in the evening, he asked me, “Modi Ji kahan hain? Mujhe unse milna hai,” After that, he continuously wanted to meet Modi Ji. Rudraksh was offered some chocolates in a handwoven basket, but he is not fond of chocolates. We kept wondering, there was no gift from the PM’s side and he was mostly teasing the boy, but he seems to have done something that many are unable to. He has mastered the challenging art of charming everybody, including my younger ones. After this incident, I am now convinced, Modi Ji, without a doubt, has got some magnetic qualities that draw others towards him.
It was a personal get-together, so we didn’t discuss anything political. However, Modi Ji gave me a couple of tips on how to get people to connect with the service programs. He suggested that the community has to come together whenever there is a crisis. He revealed to me that in Gujarat, he generally requested his team to assume the role of a mediator and bridge the gap between the lower and above middle-class people to come together and help each other. In Modi Ji’s Parliamentary Constituency Kashi too, the same model was applied during COVID-crisis for food distribution. So, it is a twofold impact- the givers enjoy the joy of giving, and beneficiaries receive assistance. In this way, he says, society will get associated, inspired to get involved within the community, and will be able to handle situations more effectively.
I believe that Modi Ji has got all the qualities a top-notch leader should have and is connected to the ground so well that he can comprehend the mindset of the poorest of the poor and their problems. We are all fortunate to have a leader like him, a true People’s PM. A visionary and unparalleled politician, he is incredibly fearless in making decisions, something we all can learn from him. I feel he is committed more towards the country than he is committed to the party. His selfless leadership has impacted me the most, always looking into “national interest.” He is the only reason I joined politics, not the prime, ‘the only.’
PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji writes in his poem “Abhi toh Suraj uga hai”:
“Vishwas ki lau jala kar
Vikas ka deepak lekar
Sapno ko sakar karne
Abhi toh Suraj uga hai”
