NEW DELHI, Nov 12: “Gala hi pakad liya unhone”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday while recalling how a “women’s brigade” of journalists in 2001 got whiff of him becoming Gujarat chief minister and caught hold of him to demand sweets.
Addressing journalists at a Diwali Milan programme organised by the BJP, the prime minister lauded the role of the media in keeping Indian democracy vibrant. He said he has seen the media evolve from the days of press releases to Instagram reels and still remembers when he would arrange chairs at such party gatherings for the media.
Going down memory lane, Modi said there were fewer cameras back then but the warmth of relationships was just the same. He said he had learnt a lot and many of his experiences from that time still prove very useful.
Referring to his completing 25 years as head of a government last month, Modi said only a few top leaders in the party knew he was becoming Gujarat’s chief minister in 2021.
“One day, a group of journalists stormed into my room. Normally, journalists never treat me like that. But that day, they just barged in. And at that time, there used to be a women’s brigade. They possessed immense influence,” he said.
“Gala hi pakad liya unhone. Bola mithai khilao (They caught me by my neck and asked me to treat them with sweets),” Modi said.
“I asked why did they want sweets, to which they said you are going to Gujarat to become the CM. I told them that I don’t know. They replied that they knew and that I was lying,” he said.
Very few people knew about it at that time but this group was already aware. “Anyway, their information was accurate, but it was very difficult for me to answer,” Modi said.
Greeting journalists at the event held at the BJP headquarters, the prime minister remarked that “few old faces” seem to be left in the media and lauded the commitment of journalists in getting “breaking news” even during festival times when everyone tries to spend time at home with their family and loved ones.
“There are many colleagues from the new generation here. However, those who are senior know that I have had a natural and longstanding relationship with your world for a long time,” he said.
“From press releases to Insta reel releases, I have witnessed a long evolution of media and media interactions,” he said. In the early 1990s, he recalled, he was entrusted with the responsibility of managing media arrangements across the country for two major yatras.
“And that was a time when one had to search for a fax machine just to send out a press release. When I came to Delhi, I still held this responsibility. At that time, the party operated from the Ashoka Road office,” he said.
“Even during those times, these Diwali gatherings used to take place. My job back then was to arrange chairs at such Diwali gatherings and welcome all of you,” he said.
When his swearing-in ceremony as Gujarat chief minister took place in 2001, many journalist friends attended at their own expense and made their own arrangements, he recounted.
“They came not for reporting, but out of affection and love. When I saw them after the swearing-in ceremony and met them, I told them they should have informed me and I would have arranged something.”
“They replied that they just came on their own,” he said.
The prime minister also said that evolving technology has dramatically altered the nature of the media.
“While the work of traditional media outlets has become somewhat easier, brand new challenges have also emerged. Earlier, there used to be a struggle for massive OB vans, but today, the mobile phone itself has turned into an OB van,” he said.
“Today, everyone has their own platform, their own channel, and their own podcast,” Modi observed.
He added that it used to be said earlier that, in India, cricket experts are to be found in every alley.
“Someone in a village lane would explain what mistake Sachin (Tendulkar) made. Nowadays, experts on every piece of news are available in every street,” he said.
Quoting the adage, “jitni muh, utni baatein”, roughly translating to “so many mouths, so many opinions”, he said, “That is why it sometimes feels that there are as many opinions as there are people in the country. And such diverse perspectives uphold our democracy and keep it vibrant.”
“And in this, the Indian media certainly plays an enormous role,” he added.
According to Modi, the one wonderful aspect about the world of news is that nothing is deemed impossible.
“Whether an accident occurs, an earthquake strikes, or flood devastation ensues, the whole world runs away from that place. Yet the ones who swim against the tide are our field reporters. Risking their own lives and putting aside all concerns for their families, they reach the spot for coverage,” he said.
“Such dedication is rarely witnessed, and for this, I have always been an admirer of yours,” the prime minister told the gathering.
He also said that the entire life of a journalist revolves around deadlines and sought support from the media in meeting the deadline set by the government in making India a developed nation by 2047.
