(MENAFN- Live Mint) Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared lessons on team spirit, crowdfunding and governance during a recent episode of Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath's podcast 'WTF is'.
Nikhil Kamath asked PM Modi how Politics relates to money and how people enter the field, comparing it to entrepreneurs who start by raising seed capital from friends and family.
“When we say join politics, youth say it requires a lot of money. Do you want to say something? In the start-up world to which I belong, when we get an idea, we arrange money from friends and family; we call it a seed round. How can this be done in politics?” asked Kamath.
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In his characteristic story-telling style, PM Modi revealed the story of his village in early childhood. He mentioned that there was a local doctor who tried his hand in politics to make the point that one can arrange the 'seed round' through what is now known as 'crowdsourcing'.
“There was a doctor in our village. He decided to fight elections as an independent candidate. And we used to campaign around with flags in our hands.
“He arranged one rupee each from each of his supporters, and then he gave an account of ₹250 he had accumulated in a public forum after winning the elections,” PM Modi said.
“It's not that the society does not know the truth. You only need patience and sacrifice. But there should not be a feeling of contract; only then can you succeed. Politics should not be seen as something in the context of MLA and MP. You can do anything in society, and it creates an impression in politics. Someone who runs a small school for children also creates an impact. Politics needs to be seen on a large canvas," PM Modi added.
“In fact, in democracy, the voter himself is a politician. When he decides who to vote for and who not to vote for – he is applying his mind,” the Prime Minister said.
He further said,“In my case, although I am a politician, I am not a so-called politician. It's only during elections - I have to use this political language, but I don't like it. It's my compulsion,” PM Modi said.
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“When elections are not around, I focus all my time on governance. And before entering politics, it was only for the party..for things like mass mobilisation,” he explained further.
Team spirit
PM Modi further narrated his early days as the chief minister of Gujarat in 2001 when he took over in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Bhuj.
“When I was in Gujarat, I went to the earthquake-affected areas. I was new to governance and did not have any experience. I asked officials when will the rebuilding work be completed. They gave me the deadline of March. I told them to stop following the financial year and instead gave them a fresh deadline of December so that the work could be showcased to the world before Jan 26,” PM Modi said in Hindi.
“There were 43 talukas, and I gave the responsibility of one taluka to each officer and told them to get the work done in their respective talukas. When they came back, they highlighted the problem with regard to the rules. I enquired who made those rules. The lesson they learnt was made possible only because they went to the ground. Then the change could be brought in those talukas.”
“This was the team spirit I tried to instil in them,” PM Modi concluded.
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