Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched his memoir about his experiences with Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday, offering a glimpse into his 35-year association with the Prime Minister, and one story in particular sparked laughter – on a day when a room full of BJP leaders had no idea what an email ID was.
Speaking at the book launch, Chouhan recalled an early meeting in Madhya Pradesh, apparently in the 1990s, when Narendra Modi visited the state in his capacity as the party’s state affairs in-charge.
A tale about the tech-savvy Modi
Chouhan said a gathering was called to prepare for the elections, and Modi turned to the room and asked a simple question: “Who has an email ID?”
The former Madhya Pradesh state president said the response was silence. “People started looking at each other’s faces.”
Then the late Babulal Gor, who would later become Prime Minister, broke the silence, saying: “Narendra Bhai, what ‘female’ are you talking about? What will happen with this female email?” Gower clearly hadn’t heard the word “email” — or perhaps hadn’t encountered it at all. Gore laughed, as did some of the others, Chauhan said.
However, the moment was less about comedy and more about what it revealed about Modi, according to Chauhan. Chouhan pointed out that at a time when mobile phones were considered a sign of “five-star culture” in BJP circles, and when party workers steeped in a more traditional political culture viewed technology with suspicion, Modi was already asking his colleagues for email IDs.
Chauhan said he realized that technology would be essential to building a developed India. “He can see beyond that and make arrangements early,” the agriculture minister said. He also talked about Modi’s use of computers during that period.
What are the effects of memoirs?
“Apnapan: Narendra Modi Sang Mere Anubhav” (original in Hindi, title can be translated as “Affection: My Experience with Narendra Modi”) traces the journey of the two leaders from their early days as BJP workers to their current roles in the Union government.
Chouhan said his association with Modi goes back to 1991, when the two worked together in the “Ekta Yatra”, a cross-country march led by senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, that stretched from Kanyakumari to Srinagar. Modi was conducting the tour. Chouhan served as convener of Kesariya Vahini, the youth mobilization wing of the yatra.
Chouhan said that it was in that yatra that he understood for the first time what motivated Modi. “When I met Narendra Bhai for the first time, I saw his vision of connecting with the masses, uniting people and awakening the spirit of patriotism,” he said.
This yatra culminated in the hoisting of the tricolor at Lal Chowk in Srinagar at the height of the rebellion in the valley. Chauhan described this as unthinkable for most people at that time.
Chouhan’s book was officially launched by former Vice President of India and BJP veteran M Venkaiah Naidu and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda of the JD(S). The event was attended by several senior leaders, Union ministers and chief ministers, including ministers of Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Delhi.
Modi was reportedly scheduled to meet foreign leaders as part of the Quadrilateral Security Group event on the same day.
