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Perhaps the most enduring influence on PM Modi’s life has been his late mother, Heeraben.
Modi has time and again recalled that she taught him lessons of thrift, discipline, and service. (Image: PTI File)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi turns 75 today. At 75, PM Modi not just continues to inspire but all be inspired. In one of his Mann Ki Baat episodes, PM Modi said, “For me, ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has been like worshipping the qualities in others. We should worship the qualities of others.” It is a known fact that while PM Modi speaks about being inspired by his mother and the greats of Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekanananda, he also continues to learn from the common Indian.
His journey continues to evoke reflection not just on his political longevity but on the diverse sources of inspiration that have shaped his worldview. For PM Modi, leadership has always been a blend of deeply personal experiences, historical influences, and the voices of ordinary citizens whose stories he often amplifies on national platforms.
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His Mother’s Values, His Anchor
Perhaps the most enduring influence on Modi’s life has been his late mother, Heeraben. Until her passing in 2022, Modi made frequent visits to Gandhinagar to spend time with her, often sharing images of their conversations and simple meals. He has recalled that she taught him lessons of thrift, discipline, and service. “A mother is not just a person but a guiding force in life,” Modi once said, noting how her values grounded him even amid the demands of high office. His visits to her home were symbolic reminders that public power, in his view, must remain connected to personal humility.
“My mother is as simple as she is extraordinary. Just like all mothers,” Modi once said. “She always inspired me to have a strong resolve and focus on garib kalyan (welfare of the poor).”
No doubt then that when recently, some people at a Congress-RJD rally in Bihar abused his late mother, he was hurt. While he said he might forgive Congress and RJD, he insisted that the people of Bihar will never forgive those responsible. He also said that his mother “had nothing to do with politics,” and she did not deserve to be dragged into such abusive public exchange.
Icons of the Freedom Struggle
While his mother remains his greatest inspiration, Modi has repeatedly drawn upon the legacies of India’s freedom fighters and reformers. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, whom he calls the “Iron Man of India,” occupies a central place. The world’s tallest statue — the Statue of Unity in Gujarat — was a project Modi championed as Chief Minister and completed as Prime Minister. “Patel united the nation; our task is to make that unity stronger,” he has declared, underlining how Patel’s grit guides his vision of federalism and integration.
Mahatma Gandhi too remains a constant inspiration. Modi has invoked Gandhi’s principle of cleanliness as the spiritual force behind the Swachh Bharat Mission. “Cleanliness is not just a task, it is a tribute to Bapu,” he said at the campaign’s launch, blending moral responsibility with civic duty.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose also inspires Modi’s strong emphasis on national pride and military self-reliance. On multiple occasions, Modi has recalled Netaji’s call of “Give me blood, and I will give you freedom.” In 2022, the PM installed a grand statue of Bose at India Gate, calling it a “symbol of India’s indebtedness.”
Among spiritual figures, Swami Vivekananda is perhaps the most personal influence. Modi has often said Vivekananda’s call to the youth — to rise with confidence and service — shaped his own teenage years. “My life’s mission is to live the message of Vivekananda: to serve the poor, to serve humanity,” Modi once noted.
Inspiration from the Common Citizen
Yet, Modi’s sources of inspiration are not confined to great leaders of the past. His monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat has been a platform to spotlight ordinary Indians — teachers, farmers, innovators, conservationists — whose stories of perseverance inspire millions. He has shared accounts of a teacher from Maharashtra creating libraries in remote villages, or a farmer in Assam who pioneered organic rice varieties. For Modi, these voices embody the “New India” more vividly than any manifesto.
In one of his Mann Ki Baat episodes, PM Modi spoke about Dr Ajit Mohan Chaudhary from UP’s Kanpur. He was treating underprivileged people, giving free medicines, even visiting them on footpaths. “When I heard the story of Kanpur-based Dr Ajit Mohan Chaudhary, it gives one an opportunity to feel the sense of brotherhood that prevails in the country,” PM Modi said.
In another episode, PM Modi mentioned Ahmed Ali of Assam’s Karimganj, a rickshaw-puller who built nine schools for poor children. “When I read in letters sent by you that how a rickshaw puller from Assam’s Karimganj, Ahmed Ali built nine schools for poor children, it gives me a glimpse into the nation’s willpower,” PM Modi said.
Tushar, a differently-abled boy from Madhya Pradesh, also found a mention from PM Modi. Tushar, an eight-year-old boy, speech-impaired, used a whistle and gestures; waking up early and going house to house to motivate people to give up open defecation. This eventually helped transform his village. “It was a young boy up against an enormous task … his grit and determination were exponentially greater and mightier,” PM Modi said, appreciating his determination.
Unsung Heroes and the Padma Awards
In the recent years, the Padma Awards have emerged as another channel through which Modi honours those who inspire him and a million others. By democratising the selection process, his government has celebrated many unsung heroes — environmentalists from Odisha, tribal artists from Madhya Pradesh, or health workers from the Northeast — whose life’s work rarely made headlines. “The Padma Awards are not just medals; they are stories of grit and service,” Modi remarked, presenting them as models of humility and achievement.
Some of these unsung heroes include Daripalli Ramaiah from Telangana, who planted over 10 million saplings over decades, long before environmental concerns became mainstream, and Chintakindi Mallesham from Telangana, the inventor of a mechanised Pochampalli silk saree weaving machine, reducing time and drudgery for weavers.
Modi at 75 reflects a leader shaped by multiple layers of inspiration: a mother who embodied sacrifice, freedom icons who lit the path of nationhood, spiritual figures who stirred inner resolve, and common Indians who inspire his governance vision.
On his 75th birthday, what stands out is not just the length of his tenure but the continuity of his inspirations. Modi remains a leader who seeks strength from the ordinary while being guided by the extraordinary.
About the Author
Pragati is a News Editor at news18.com and heads the Business and Viral sections. Having worked with the breaking news team at News18 in the past, Pragati now manages the day to day functioning of the Viral and…Read More
Pragati is a News Editor at news18.com and heads the Business and Viral sections. Having worked with the breaking news team at News18 in the past, Pragati now manages the day to day functioning of the Viral and… Read More
September 17, 2025, 10:47 IST
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