Modi’s simplicity had touched the hearts of his hosts in the US. (PTI File)
“Modi said he had to wash the clothes daily…his showed to us how simple and humble he was and still is… It speaks volumes about his simplicity, even after he rose to prominence,” said Dr Panna Barai
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit, here’s a story of his simplicity from his 1993 visit to America, narrated by Dr Panna Barai, a US-based doctor.
PM Modi will visit the United States from September 21 to 23. This is the first visit of PM Modi in his third term and is also significant as this time, along with bilateral issues, QUAD, concerns of Global South, the focus is also on the war in Europe as he recently visited both Russia and Ukraine.
In 1993, he visited the US and stayed with the Indian-origin physician couple Dr Bharat and Panna Barai.
Dr Panna Barai said when Modi visited the USA, he told them that he had come with a 22-inch suitcase and only two pairs of clothes. He said he had to wash them daily, she said, adding it was unusual because, in the US, people generally do laundry once a week.
“This showed to us how simple and humble he was and still is… It speaks volumes about his simplicity, even after he rose to prominence,” Barai said.
She said Modi’s love for his country was evident in their conversations. “He would speak with such sensitivity and passion about the country he loved, and we could often see tears in his eyes as he discussed what he believed should be done for India,” Barai added.
DELTA AIRLINES PASS
Three decades ago, Modi had visited the US as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader. During one of these trips, he visited different states of US, without spending a lot, due to his resourcefulness and smart thinking.
The US is a large country, and long-distance travel is common. For example, the distance from New York to Sacramento, California’s capital, is nearly 4,500 km. Modi needed to travel far and wide to meet people, but there was a problem – he didn’t have enough money for such extensive travel.
To overcome this, Modi used his resourcefulness. He discovered a monthly pass scheme by Delta Airlines. The offer came with conditions: limited luggage and no seat selection. Modi, with just one bag and two pairs of clothes, took advantage of this affordable scheme.
With the Delta pass, he travelled to several states in one month. His mission was to meet Indians in the US and encourage them to help India. To save on hotel costs, Modi often took late-night flights. He would sleep on the plane and spend the day meeting people. He even chose flights with long layovers to spend nights in the air or airports.
THE VISIT
Modi will first visit Wilmington in Delaware as US President Joe Biden will host him and other Quad Leaders at his home for QUAD Leaders’ meet. PM Modi and President Biden have had nine engagements since 2022 at multilateral events and during visits, which also include one telephonic conversation and one virtual summit.
PM Modi will also hold bilateral meeting with all three leaders – President Biden, Prime Minister Kishida of Japan and PM Antony Albanese of Australia – on Sunday after concluding QUAD Summit. On the sidelines of the QUAD Summit, a special event has been planned – the Cancer moonshot event.
PM Modi will attend a community event ‘Modi & US’ in Long Island at the Nassau Veterans Memorial in Coliseum. The preparation for the event has been going on for about a month and the event is already overbooked as the capacity is 15,000, but more than 24,000 Indians have registered for it. Indian Americans from 42 states are expected to attend the event and the response has been particularly strong from the tri-state area.
PM Modi will also be chairing a Roundtable with CEOs of American companies working in AI, Quantum Computing, Biotechnology, Cutting Edge Technology.
On the third day, which is September 23, Prime Minister Modi will address a gathering of world leaders at the Summit of the Future (SOTF) at United Nations and on the sidelines, he is expected to hold bilateral meetings with other Heads of states visiting New York for UNGA.
With Agency Inputs
