Narendra Modi: preference

Transcript context

…Has there been times when you met with a world leader and completely fasted, and maybe what do they think about that? What do they think about your ability to do that kind of thing? And you’re right, I should mention that from even my two days, my ability to be present, my ability to sense everything, sharply focus on this experience is elevated. But yes, is there stories with a world leader that maybe jumped to mind when you were fasted? Well, most of the time I don’t even let people know about it. It’s my personal matter, so I never publicized it, but people gradually started finding out. It became known only after I became Chief Minister and Prime Minister. Otherwise, it was purely personal. But now that it’s out in the open, I don’t mind sharing. If someone asks, I tell them so it might be useful to them, because it’s not my personal property. It’s my experience, and if that can help someone, why not share it? After all, my life has always been devoted to the well-being of others. For example, after I became Prime Minister, I had a bilateral meeting at the White House with President Obama, and he had also arranged a formal dinner. Then as discussions between the two governments progressed, someone said, “Please join us for dinner.” To which another replied, “But the Prime Minister doesn’t eat.” This left them a bit concerned. How do you host the leader of such a major nation at the White House without serving food? When we sat down, they brought me a glass of hot water. I turned to President Obama and jokingly said, “Look, my dinner has arrived,” as I placed the glass in front of me. Later when I visited again, he still remembered. He smiled and said, “Last time you were fasting, this time we’re having lunch. Since you’re not fasting, you’ll have to eat twice as much.” Let’s go to the beginning. You rose from humble beginnings to lead the world’s largest democracy. So, I think there’s a lot of people for whom this is truly inspiring. Your family was a very modest means, and you grew up in a one-room house with a mud floor, your whole family living there. Tell me about your childhood. How did those humble beginnings shape your outlook on life?…

Stored transcript either side of the excerpt. The highlighted words are the published quote; the surrounding text is unedited source, never generated.