Poverty, Himalayas, RSS Shaped My Life, Says PM

I have close ties with Russia and Ukraine alike, have appealed to them to prioritize dialogue, diplomacy over military action, Modi says in podcast

- Saubhadra Chatterji

NEW DELHI: A childhood shaped by poverty and hardships, the influence of Swami Vivekananda and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and a deep sense of responsibility towards ordinary Indians helped build Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brand of people-centric governance and his approach towards national transformation, the leader said on Sunday.

In a podcast with American computer scientist and podcaster Lex Fridman, Modi also spoke extensively about global geopolitics, urged Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate for peace, underlined his relationship with US President Donald Trump and the convergence of the "America First" and "Bharat first" policies, and held out strong words for Pakistan.

He also opened up on the 2002 Gujarat riots, said normalcy has returned to the India-China border after his recent talks with President Xi Jinping, and held out advice on a slew of topics ranging from exam stress and fasting to loneliness and the meaning of life.

But perhaps for the first time, Modi opened up about the factors and influences that have shaped him.

"Through the RSS, I found a life of purpose. Then I was fortunate to spend some time among the saints, which gave me a strong spiritual foundation. I found discipline and a life of purpose. And through the guidance of saints, I gained spiritual grounding," Modi said in the three-hour-long podcast.

He spoke about his childhood, saying that despite growing up in poverty, he never felt its weight. He recalled how, even amid hardships, he never experienced a sense of deprivation, sharing a story about cleaning white shoes to underline his work ethic and dedication to cleanliness. "We never thought about being poor, or judged about how others lived, or what their struggles were. We lived carefree, enjoying whatever little we had, and kept working hard," he said.