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INDIA-POLITICS-MODI
India’s Modi recounts self-discovery solo jungle trips
NEW DELHI, Jan 23, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
has claimed he used to spend days “reflecting” alone in the jungle, in a new
interview seeking to burnish his religious credentials as tough elections
loom.
Modi, who secured a landslide poll victory in 2014, has long touted his
remarkable backstory that saw him rise from humble origins as the son of a
tea seller to become India’s devout Hindu leader.
His nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took office after tapping into
the country’s strong Hindu faith and conservative traditions, personified in
the 68-year-old premier.
Modi shared further details of his hardscrabble life on Tuesday, telling
the popular Humans of Bombay Facebook page that he regularly left home to
seek solitude during the Hindu festival Diwali.
“Not many people know this, but I would go away for the five days…
somewhere in a jungle,” Modi said.
“I would pack enough food to last for those five days. I would reflect…
People often asked me, ‘Who are you going to meet?’ And I would say, ‘To meet
myself’.”
Modi also spoke candidly about his early life, saying he grew up with “a
great need to look sharp and groomed” despite his family’s meagre earnings.
“Even though we couldn’t afford an iron, I would heat some coal, use an old
‘lota’ (rounded vessel)… This was the beginning of everything that I am
today and I didn’t even know it at the time,” he said.
Modi has used his simple origins to contrast himself with Rahul Gandhi, the
scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that has dominated Indian politics for
decades, who is leading a resurgent opposition to polls expected by May.
The prime minister has been a champion of Hinduism and Indian culture, last
year publicising the yoga exercises he said were key to his fitness regimen.
But Tuesday’s interview drew a mixed reaction from readers, with praise for
Modi’s “inspiring” story tempered by critics.
“I thought this platform was for genuine people and genuine stories. Why
the sudden need for this political propaganda,” wrote one user.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1644 hrs