The present Prime Minister of India is one of the most influential leaders in the democratic history of the country. He was born in the state of Gujarat and had been dedicated to his motherland from early childhood. His story is often regarded as one from rags-to-riches. However, it is more a story of determination and dedication. He was not born to a well-to-do family, where, initially he helped his father in his business and in later years he and his brother ran a tea stall in order to earn a living. As a child he was in the NCC and was also associated with NGOs. Modi began as a member of BJP, and rose to the position of the Chief Minister of Gujarat, retained office for four terms and thus proving his efficiency as a leader. The pinnacle is his illustrious career was when he was elected as the Prime Minister in a landslide victory that saw his party for the first time win the elections as a majority without a coalition. Although he was elected by millions to be their leader not many really know much about this highly regarded man, hence we have decided to throw some light on the life of Modi with these 25 amazing facts that every Indian should know. Take a look.
1. Signature
The present Prime Minister of India is well connected to his roots even after reaching the zenith of his political career. He is grounded and is one of the patrons of the national language and avidly uses Hindi while addressing the public or the press. Well, this has been followed by many renowned Indian leaders and many Indian leaders continue this tradition even today. However, what marks his uniqueness is that Modi always puts his signature in Hindi, whether it be an official document or in any casual occasion.
2. He Is A Post Graduate
After completing his higher secondary education from his hometown Vadnagar, there was a hiatus in his educational career. However, he resumed his studies by enrolling in a bachelor’s degree in a correspondence course under Delhi University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 1978. He then pursued an M.A. in Political Science from Gujarat University and a few years later became a postgraduate.
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3. Course From US
Yes, one among the numerous interesting facts about Modi is that he had undertaken a three months course in the United States where he was given lessons on image management and public relations. The lessons he learnt in the US and his leadership qualities have blended in proportion to build a personality that has stirred billions.
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4. A Follower
This eminent leader is follower of the ideologies of great saint Swami Vivekananda, and Modi even penned pieces revolving around Swamiji and his ideologies. Swami Vivekananda himself was a great orator and is known by many for his speech at the Parliament of the World’s Religion. Co-incidentally, Swamiji was also named Narendra by his parents.
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5. Marital Status
For many years the marital status of Narendra Modi was not known, but before the 2014 General Elections, Modi filled in some papers wherein he mentioned his wife’s name in one of the columns. When he was a teenager, he was married to Jashodaben Chimanlal by their parents. However, the marriage did not become a consummate relationship as soon after the marriage, he left home and embarked on his journey in politics.
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6. Bohemian Life
He aspired to become a sanyasi as a child and in his late teenage years he ventured on an unknown journey and travelled from one place to another. The places he sojourned included Ramakrishna Mission of Rajkot and Belur Math and finally landed in the Himalayan ranges where he spent about a couple of years with the sadhus, and lived a life of a gypsy.
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7. A Poet Within
He engages in literary pursuits and has penned a number of poetic pieces in his mother tongue, Gujarati. He has also published some of his literary works. Apart from being a poet, this superlative leader also takes delight in photography and even held an exhibition in which his talent as a photographer was manifested.
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8. Followed By
He is one among the FOUR people whom Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe follows on the social networking site Twitter. He has more than 12-million followers on Twitter, which places him second as the world’s most followed leaders after President Obama.
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9. No Visa
In 2005, the US government did not issue him a diplomatic visa and under US Immigration and Nationality Act, the visa which he already possessed was invalidated.
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10. Crease-Less
The Prime Minister of India is always well dressed and his clothes do not have any crease. This is a habit he has inculcated from his younger days. He used a self-devised iron wherein he filled a brass container with hot water to press his clothes.
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11. Tech Savvy
As is evident from his social networking accounts, this leader has an inclination for technology and he is in constant touch with the people through his social media accounts. Whether it is Twitter or Facebook, he is a regular user and keeps a note of the praises and especially the criticism he is met with. To add to it, he was the first to propagate his election campaign on Social media platforms.
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12. Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness
He is very particular in matters of cleanliness and maintains the neatness of his office. A neat atmosphere is a requisite for Modi. This is evident in the initiatives started by him as the Prime Minister. The ‘Swach Bharat’ mission is one such initiative spurred by Modi to make India clean.
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13. An Innate Patriot
As a teenager, he enthusiastically participated in the 1965 Indo-Pak war, not as a soldier but as an aid to the soldiers at the railway stations during their journey.
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14. Economical
He is very economical and knows how to use every penny to the optimum level. He understands the value of the hard earned money of the people and is the primary reason why he introduced the LPG subsidy and various other socio-economic policies.
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15. Holiday
This is a word this illustrious leader does not relate to. He has been the Chief Minister of Gujarat for a span of thirteen years and during his term in office he did not take any leave. He is a workaholic and work tops the priority list of Modi.
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16. Early Riser
He is an early riser and has been maintaining a steady wake up time of 5- 5.30am regardless of the season or any other factor. Even if he sleeps late at night, there are no amends made to his wake up time.
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17. Drama
During his school days, Narendra participated in many plays and even performed in a drama meant for a fundraiser as a teenager.
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18. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
His association with the charitable group RSS began when he was just eight years old. He gradually became a member of the group and even led the students’ wing of RSS known as the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parisha. In fact, it was through RSS that Narendra Modi was introduced into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). During his association with the RSS he amassed immense knowledge about Hinduism.
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19. Near Death Experience
The Sharmishtha Lake located in his hometown was a regular play area for Modi during his childhood days. Frighteningly, and a rare known fact is that the lake was also home to crocodiles and once a crocodile hit Modi with its tail resulting in serious injuries. However, he was fortunate enough to survive the attack.
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20. Style Icon
He is well-dressed and carries himself quite well in all outfits, be it Indian or Western. Modi has his own style statement and teamed up with several brands that custom make his daily attire. Like most regular blokes, he too has a liking for wrist watches, sandals and hats.
Photo Credit Reuters
21. Revamping Gujarat:
When he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he was instrumental in improving the state’s financial condition making it one of the best investment hubs for business magnates. His government ensured that every village in Gujarat receives electricity and the ‘Jyotigram Yojana’ was formulated to turn this vision into a reality. Ahmedabad, which is the largest city of Gujarat, ranked third in World’s fastest growing states list by Forbes in the year 2010. The first two in the list are Chinese cities Chongqing and Chengdu.
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22. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel:
One of the eminent leaders of Indian Freedom movement, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, is one of Modi’s idols and motivates him in his journey as a leader. Sardar, as he is well-known as, was the first Deputy Prime Minister of Independent India and he too was also born in Gujarat.
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23. Investor Friendly:
In 2007, while Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, the investors’ summit called ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ was held and it saw the investment of 6.6 trillion in real-estate sector. Modi’s financial plans draw entrepreneurs to invest in such projects as they were lucrative and innovative.
Photo Credit PTI
24. His Communication Skill
Modi has communication skills which is rare to find. Known to be one of the best orators in the country, his command over language was the prime reason which lured the nation by his side. Modi has a vast knowledge in various fields and that is only because he does his homework well before getting into any issue.
Photo Credit AFP
25. Not An Elite But A Common Man
In a speech delivered on 7th October 2001, after he was chosen as the new Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi was quoted saying “I did not become the Chief Minister of Gujarat on 7th October 2001. I have always been the CM (Chief Minister); I am a CM today and will remain a CM tomorrow because by CM I mean ‘common man’ or Aam Aadmi.” After being elected as the Prime Minister of India, he said that he is the Number 1 mazdoor (worker). In the 68th Indian Independence Day, he gave a speech at the Red Fort where he mentioned that he is the Pradhan Sevak (Prime Servant) of the nation.
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