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  • "I was 8 when I attended my first RSS meeting ," PM Narendra Modi goes down memory lane

Published 17:50 IST, January 5th 2019

"I was 8 when I attended my first RSS meeting ," PM Narendra Modi goes down memory lane

"I wanted to do more, but knew we had little means," shares PM Narendra Modi speaking of his childhood and entry in RSS

Reported by: Aishwaria Sonavane
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"I was 8 when I attended my first RSS meeting ," PM Narendra Modi goes down memory lane
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Sharing his life beyond the constraints of politics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about his childhood to Humans of Bombay, a portal that is known to vocalise human stories, coated with emotions. 

"I wanted to do more, but knew we had little means," shares PM Narendra Modi speaking of himself when he was just a small child belonging to a humble family where his father ran a tea stall and mother was renowned for her traditional forms of healing and curing 

Peeling the political layer off him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a chunk of his childhood, unveiling a world that defined his entry into the political world. 

"I was always curious- I'd go to the library and read everything I could get my hands on," said the Prime Minister. 

READ | "Mother Was Known For Her Healing Touch," PM Narendra Modi Draws A Chunk Of Nostalgia From His Childhood

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

(1/5) “My family of 8 lived in a 40x12 feet house–it was small, but enough for us. Our days began at 5 AM when my mother would provide traditional forms of curing & healing to newborns & small children. All night, my brother & I would keep the ‘chula’ going for her to use. She didn’t have the fortune of getting an education, but God was kind & she had a special way of curing ailments. Mothers would line up outside our home because she was known for her healing touch. Then, I would open my father’s tea stall at the railway station, clean up & go to school. As soon as school ended, I would rush back to help him, but what I really looked forward to was meeting people from all over India. I would serve them tea & listen to their stories–that’s how I learnt to speak Hindi. I would hear some traders speak about ‘Bambai’ & wonder, ‘Will I ever get to see the city of dreams?’ I was always curious–I’d go to the library & read everything I could get my hands on. I was 8 when I attended my first RSS meeting & 9 when I was a part of an effort to better the lives of others–I set up a food stall with my friends to help the victims of floods in parts of Gujarat. I wanted to do more, but knew we had little means. Still, even at that age, I believed that God has made us all alike. It didn’t matter what circumstances I was born into, I could be something more. So when you ask me what my struggles were, I’ll tell you that I had none. I came from nothing, knew no luxury & hadn’t seen a ‘better’ life, so in my small world...I was happy. If the way was ever difficult, I made my own way. I had a great need to look sharp & groomed. So even though we couldn’t afford an iron, I would heat coal, use an old ‘lota’, wrap a cloth around it & press my clothes–the effect was the same, then why complain? This was the beginning of everything that I am today & I didn’t even know it at the time. So if you ask the 8 year old Narendra Modi, running around serving chai & cleaning his father’s tea stall, whether he even dared to dream about becoming the Prime Minister of India, his answer would be no. Never. It was too far to even think about.” #TheModiStory

A post shared by Humans of Bombay (@officialhumansofbombay) on

An 8-year-old Narendra Modi attended his first RSS meeting and at the age of 9, in an effort to improve lives Prime Minister set up food stalls along with his friends to hold the victims of flood in Gujarat. 

Brimming with curiosity and fervour to do more, Narendra Modi sharing his childhood said, "I wanted to do more, but knew we had little means." 

Apart from his entry into RSS, Prime Minister Modi detailed his childhood putting together pieces of his mother, his father's tea stall and the Modi childhood. 

READ| 'My Family Of 8 Lived In A 40x12 Feet House–it Was Small, But Enough For Us', PM Modi Talks About His Childhood

Updated 17:50 IST, January 5th 2019

Narendra Modi