Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday revealed several details about his childhood days in the Lex Fridman podcast. Modi stated that he was born in Gujarat's Vadnagar and grew up in an "unique environment", adding that he would not have understood the pain of the common people if he was not raised in such an environment. He further stated that due to lack of resources, he used to clean white shoe with chalks.
While reflecting on his humble beginnings, Modi stated that he belonged to a place with great history and culture. Modi stated that his family was very poor, but the poverty never felt like a burden as they had no means of comparison. "We never felt the burden of poverty because we had no means of comparison. If you've never worn shoes, you don’t know what it’s like to miss them," Modi stated.
PM Modi stated that his joint family grew up in a very small house with no window and a small door. He stated that he spent his earlier years in "extreme poverty". However, he pointed out that his family enjoyed those moments and did not feel the burden of the poverty.
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He also remembered her mother and stated that she was extremely hardworking and ensured that the kids did not feel the burden of poverty. Modi stated that his father was also hardworking and was very disciplined, adding that he used to wear handmade leather shoes and was very religious.
Here's my conversation with @narendramodi, Prime Minister of India.
— Lex Fridman (@lexfridman) March 16, 2025
It was one of the most moving & powerful conversations and experiences of my life.
This episode is fully dubbed into multiple languages including English and Hindi. It's also available in the original (mix of… pic.twitter.com/85yUykwae4
Modi stated that his first school shoes were gifted by his uncle, and they cost around Rs 10. However, he stated that the colour of the shoe was white, and it was hard to maintain its cleanliness. Modi further recounted that he cleaned his shoe using white chalks that were left after the schools. He emphasised that he has a habit of cleanliness and good dressing since his childhood.
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Modi also discussed that his village also has a connection with China, as philosopher Hiuen Tsang visited there for Buddhist learnings, and a film was also released on it later. He stated that there were several historical structures in his area and it was a center for Buddhist learning.