The Modi I Got To Know In 2006

While working as Additional Secretary General of FICCI, I had the privilege to meet and interact with Mr Narendra Modi ‒ then Chief Minister of Gujarat ‒ several times in connection with his signature project, Vibrant Gujarat.  I also got the opportunity to travel with him to Singapore, China, Russia.  During these sojourns I got to notice up close several remarkable traits of the great man ‒ which I want to share with the readers. 

Mr Modi used to take weekly monitoring meetings for Vibrant Gujarat during the last couple of months before the big day in January 2007. As industry coordinators for the event, FICCI was invariably invited to these discussions. As my boss the Secretary General ‒ Dr Amit Mitra ‒ was not able to travel every week, I was deputed to stand in for him. One particular meeting, which somehow I too couldn’t attend, but got the usual report from a colleague, stands out clearly in my memory even after so many years. This was to review the crucial case of ‘A List’. As several Secretaries of the Gujarat government and people from FICCI stood outside his room, Mr Modi walked in briskly, loudly enquired as to what had happened about the ‘A List’? My colleagues ‒ to whom the query was addressed ‒ had no answer; they were quiet. The Chief Minister repeated his question a little loudly “Aap se poochh rahe hain, ‘A List’ ka kya hua?”  It was only then that one guy picked up courage to mumble an apology and informed the CM that he and his seniors had all tried but were not able to get confirmation from anyone on the ‘A List’. “You know; our event cannot happen without the presence of ‘A List’; so what do you propose we do. Cancel the event?” His sharp tone terrified everyone. Modi ji was obviously angry.  

My colleague, perhaps sweating already in the air-conditioned room, again very humbly mentioned that the CM himself would have to speak to everyone on the list. “So, what is the problem, why are you whimpering, why didn’t you say so to begin with, I have no problem in calling them; come, let’s get cracking.” Two assistants were summoned and instructed to get the ‘A List’ people on the line, one by one.  As all of us sat around his table, Mr Modi spoke with Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, Kumar Birla, Shashi Ruia, Adi Godrej, Sunil Mittal and a few others. We had begun the meeting around 6:30 p.m. and it was well past 9:30 when all the calls were finished. All ten on the list had accepted to attend the event! 

Since the phone was on speaker mode, we were all privy to what the guy at the other end was saying. Some of the conversations were remarkable. Tata was reminded that his ancestors were Gujaratis. Chat with Anil Ambani began with the sentence “Mukesh is coming for the inaugural session on day one and I would request you to be the lead speaker at the valedictory on day two” thus foreclosing any possibility of queries about ‘speaking order, seating arrangements etc. or even a straight refusal to share the dais with his sibling. This was during the period of the battle royal between the two brothers. Exchange with Mukesh was the longest and most interesting. Ambani started with an apology saying he had never refused an invitation from Narendra Bhai, indeed he had attended all earlier editions of Vibrant Gujarat, but this particular day he had a crucial full day meeting with collaborators which was fixed several months ago.  

The CM’s response was classic, “Mukesh Bhai, I know your meeting is in Mumbai and you and your collaborators are very busy men and yet, you must be taking a break for lunch. I am also aware that both of you travel in private jets.  So why don’t you just continue your discussion on the flight to Ahmedabad and give us only one hour of your time. Your firangi visitor can either sit with you on the dais or we can send him for kite flying (Gujarat’s famed kite festival), or whatever…. but you simply have to come. My event just can’t happen without you”.  Modi had an answer to every question from Ambani and finally the guy was left with no choice but to agree. 

So much for perseverance of the big man. He wouldn’t give up till the job was done. 

Another time, as we got down from the Singapore Airlines flight from Delhi to Singapore, Modi Ji was already on the ground and, in his typical folded hands style, told me “So Kalra Ji, it is now 7:30, shall we start the first meeting with Gujarati Samaj at 09:30?”  I was shocked; but had the presence of mind to say “Sir, you’ll have pilots riding in front of your car; your bags will be collected by someone, you don’t have to spend time for the check-in, but rest of us have to go through the drill, so may I suggest that we start only at 11:30?”  “Ok, matter closed, I will be there at 10:45, please tell everyone to be on time”; and he started walking towards the waiting car. 

Same night, at a dinner hosted by a local minister, I was summoned to the top table. “When are we leaving for Shenzhen tomorrow night?” “Sir, our departure is day after in the morning; tomorrow the High Commissioner is hosting a dinner in your honour.”  “Arre Bhai, these dinners end early, let’s leave tomorrow night. Now that we are on a chartered aircraft, the change should not cause a problem. And don’t forget to tell the Shenzhen hotel for an early check-in.”  Also inform everyone to bring down their bags, check-out and put the bags in the bus before we sit for dinner. We will all board the bus immediately after the meal and go to the airport directly. Let’s schedule the departure at 11:30. I don’t want to kill half a day by leaving next morning. Discussion over.”  The guy just didn’t want to rest and won’t even let others take it easy. 

The third similar incident happened on arrival at Shenzhen at 05:00 a.m.  We had got the airport opened specially and by the time we reached the hotel, Mr Modi had finished breakfast and was strolling in the lobby. The moment he saw me, he said, “You guys shower and have breakfast quickly; we will go and see ‘Windows of the World’, I believe it is very good; this way we won’t waste time before the formal lunch here itself at 11:45.”  It is another matter that I just didn’t have the energy to go on at his pace and managed to excuse myself by telling him the truth and deputing a colleague to accompany this unbelievably agile leader. And, of course, the group came back straight to the lunch hosted by the local chamber.  

There were many other incidents on the trip that brought out the man’s untiring vigour and youthful zeal to accomplish more in the same time ‒ something like the famous book by Amber Johnson, Eight Days a Week. Endless number of meetings, state banquets – try sitting through a 17 course one especially if you are a strict vegetarian ‒ visit to the ‘3 Gorges Dam’ that would generate a mind boggling 18,000 MW hydel power when completed, some cultural shows, visit to the Great Wall where he was the fastest walker and went the farthest, even a ride on the world’s fastest train that touched 382 kmph on the short run from downtown Shanghai to the airport. Never once did we see a shade of tiredness or boredom on his face. Always radiant, smiling and youthful looking.  

His energy, restlessness, composure and the sheer joy of living amazed everyone ‒ many of them much younger than him.  

The last flight on the trip, from Shanghai to Ahmedabad, probably presented our most interesting encounter. Modi Ji called me and asked loudly, “I have heard people are complaining.” I was taken off guard and only managed to stammer “Sir, there are no complaints; everyone seems to have enjoyed the trip.” “No, I have heard that some members of the delegation are unhappy because we haven’t made use of the inflight bar.” Aware of the strict prohibition law in his state, I was not sure how to react. However, having spent 6/7 days with him, I thought one could take some liberties.  “No Sir, no one is complaining but yes, their Gujarati pride could be hurt! Indeed, we have paid for the fully loaded bar and haven’t even opened it. Perhaps unfair to the state exchequer!” He had a big laugh and called one of the secretaries to the Government of Gujarat.  “Vijaylakshmi, I am appointing you official bartender for the flight. Please open the bar and let everyone enjoy, as long as they are sober when we land; unlike my state, there is no prohibition here! Kalra ji, you will ensure that no one gets drunk.” 

All rumors about his inflexibility and rigidity were obviously not true. Here was a very pragmatic and practical man. 

On another trip, there was a similar incident on our last evening in Moscow. There were no official engagements, so I sought permission for hosting a small dinner, on behalf of FICCI, at a good Indian restaurant. He graciously agreed. I reached the place early; reserved a table for ten and cautioned the captain to not serve any alcohol or non-vegetarian food on our table. At 07:30 p.m., nine of us, including Gautam Adani, Nirma’s Karsan Bhai Patel, Wellspun’s Goenka, two Government Secretaries and others were seated when Modi ji walked in briskly, took his seat and floored us all with his first sentence, “Kalra Ji, I am a tea totaller and strict vegetarian but I hope you are serving everything to the other guests, who might enjoy a drink and some chicken etc.  

I can’t close this narrative without mentioning another incident that happened much later in 2012 when my wife and I did a nine-day driving trip in Gujarat. Our guide from Dhordo village, close to the Great Rann ‒ Nadu Khan 67 ‒ had been with us for two days and just before paying him off ‒ even though anticipating some tongue lashing from this old Muslim about the tragic Godhra incident, I mentioned cautiously that his people must be very angry with Modi? His answer stunned us, “sahib, whatever happened was Allah’s Will; I don’t know who is responsible but what Modi has done for us no one did since 1947; we have an all-weather road, school, hospital, 24-hour electricity and piped water, good milk yielding cattle, factory close by to employ our young …  everything that we could wish for; he is our messiah, we pray for his long life”.  

All this was many years ago but I still cherish those few days in the company of this visionary leader. I have no interest in his politics but even his detractors now agree that his government has handled the economy better than any prime minister before him.