NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his podcast debut as he appeared on Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath’s YouTube channel. In over two-hour-long podcast, the PM spoke about his childhood, friends, risk-taking ability, vision for youth and more.
Here are the top highlights from PM Modi’s interview:
First call from Xi Jinping
PM Modi recalled the first call he received from China’s Xi Jinping and why he wanted to visit Gujarat.
“Chinese philosopher Xuanzang had lived in my village. At that time when I got to know that there was a movie being made on this, I wrote a letter to the embassy saying they should mention our village in the movie,” he said.
“In 2014, when I became the PM, I got courtesy calls from all the world leaders to congratulate me. At that time, Chinese premier Xi Jinping called and congratulated me. During the call, he said he wanted to visit India, specifically Gujarat, to your village Vadnagar,” PM said.
You and I have a special connection. Chinese philosopher Xuanzang had spent most of his life at your village. But, in the end, when he came back to China, he lived in my village. We both are connected like this,” PM Modi added.
‘I was not noticeable in any way’
PM Modi said he was an ordinary student when asked about his childhood. “I was not noticeable in any way, but one of my teachers, Bheljibhai Chaudhary, used to encourage me a lot. One day told my father – ‘He is so talented but he does not focus’,” PM Modi said.
“But if exams had competition element, I used to run away from it … just clear the exam somehow. But I used to be involved in several extra curricular activities,” he said.
‘I am a human, not God’
“When I became the CM, in one of me speeches, I had said that I will leave no stone unturned in my efforts. Secondly, I will not do anything for myself. Third, I am a human, I may make mistakes, but I will not make mistakes with bad intentions. I made them my life’s mantras.” PM Modi said.
“It is natural to make mistakes, after all I am a human, I am not God, but will not do wrong intentionally,” PM Modi said in the podcast.
Difference in three terms as PM
On being asked about his different tenures as the PM, he said,” In the first term, the people were trying to understand me and I was trying to understand Delhi. In the second term, I used to think from the perspective of the past. In the third term, my thinking has changed, my morale is high and my dreams have grown.”
Talking abou current term, PM said, “I want solutions to all problems by 2047 for Viksit Bharat…There should be 100% delivery of govt schemes. This is real social justice and secularism. The driving force behind this is – AI-‘Aspirational India’.”