The Nepali people got to see three important dimensions of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recently concluded Nepal visit. The reunion of Jit Bahadur with his family provided a glimpse of Modi’s compassionate human side. One cannot help but wonder why he chose to arrange the family reunion on the occasion of his visit. Many think it was meant purely for publicity purposes but many more think otherwise. Modi’s mind seems to have a literary bent. He is a lover of literature and prefers to speak most often through his heart, as poets and writers tend to do. The dreamlike-sight of the most powerful man in South Asia standing with humility and modesty, just like a family member, behind Jit Bahadur’s poor mother and siblings was reminiscent of lord Krishna standing by the side of his childhood friend Sudama.

Winning hearts

Modi chose to abandon all protocol and security norms just to meet with Jit Bahadur’s mother and siblings. There cannot be more proof of his speaking the language of the heart than that. The poor lady and her daughter couldn’t have dreamt of enjoying the comfort of a posh five star hotel, let alone meeting the Indian Prime minister as one of their own family members, but for Modi’s generosity.

There may be also another reason behind this. Modi himself is of humble origin, which he proudly shares. He has seen and experienced hardship from close range. It was poverty that forced little Jit Bahadur to leave his family and home in search of work. And when he came into contact with Modi, the latter may have seen in Jit Bahadur a reflection of his own past. The way Modi took care of Jit Bahadur’s upbringing, including his education, amply demonstrates his kind and compassionate human side. This act of generosity reminds me of a local Nepali saying, ‘Dukhi le nai dukhiko dukha dekcha’ (Only those who have endured hardships can empathise with the hardships of others).

A people’s leader

This incident also shows that Modi is essentially a people’s leader. A true peoples’ leader always seeks to do what pleases or endears them in the eyes of the people. For that, they always try to reach out to and connect with the common people. That is exactly what the Indian PM was trying to do in Nepal through Jit Bahadur and his family. For that, he was prepared to break all the barriers and walls erected before him to reach out and touch the hearts and minds of the common Nepali people. And with that gesture, he was successful.

The impact of Modi’s visit was instant and may continue for long. Indeed, Kathmandu is literally under ‘Modimaya’. You take a bus or a taxi and there are talks of Modi; TV channels and FM radios, editorials and opeds in many mainstream Nepali and English dailies have all been covered with the news and views of his visit. An unmistakable hint of optimism is discernible in the public mindset as a result.

I would suggest that our political leaders learn from Modi on what it takes to be a true leader of the people. They should make no attempts to erect walls between them and the people, as is the case now. As representatives of the people, they should not forget that they are the eyes, ears and voice of the people. As such, they should always strive to reach out and share the people’s woes and weal, as Modi has been doing.

Politically astute

Modi’s political prowess was visible in his address to the Constituent Assembly (CA) where he proved himself a politician of the highest order. His sonorous voice, exceptional gift of the gab, presence of mind and choice of diction were impressive. He rattled many CA members when he said emphatically that a constitution should seek to unite, not divide the people and the country. He eulogised, perhaps with a little exaggeration, the uncommon bravery and sacrifice of Gurkha soldiers in the Indian Army. He reiterated several times that Nepal was the birthplace of the Buddha. His development-friendly dimension was clearly manifest in the ‘HIT’ formula that he offered as a fast-track socio-economic development model for Nepal.

Modi’s deep devotion to the Hindu religion was his third dimension. In fact, his entire address to the CA was informed by a deep sense of religiosity. No doubt, therefore, in the course of his address, he called upon CA members to cultivate, among others, a  ‘Rishiman’, an ascetic-like mind, to be able to write a constitution. But he carefully chose to stay away from stating anything that may have landed him into polemics. Clearly, his  ‘Pashupatinath darshan’ and the worship he offered had more to do with his personal faith and may have little bearing on him as prime minister of secular India.

So what are we to do now? We can’t afford to bask in the glory of Modi’s visit forever. We need to wakeup to a world of realism from the dream that Modi has put us into. In his famous novel, The Shadow of the Wind, Spanish novelist, Carlow Rouiz Zafon, says, “Destiny is always around the corner, like a thief, a hooker and lottery ticket vendor. But what destiny doesn’t do is home visit. You have to go for it.” With Narendra Modi as India’s prime minister, destiny has come knocking at our door. Therefore, our political leaders and government must hasten to seize the moment and act promptly with collective wisdom and unity.  Otherwise, there is no knowing the permanence of the sunshine that his visit has brought to the otherwise somber firmament of our bilateral relations.

Thapa is a former chief of protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ([email protected])