The mentors who taught Modi his management skills

Where did Gujarat’s longest-serving chief minister pick up his dazzling style of governance?

He is thought by most in India’s industry, and increasing numbers of the population in general, to possess a mantra of management that is unusual, if not unique, and effective.

According to Modi himself, this training has come from a management school that he thinks is as good as Harvard and Stanford.

Modi has revealed his inspirations in a work he wrote after he became chief minister in 2001. The book, written in Gujarati, is called Jyotipunj.

In it, Modi sketches out the characters of the men who taught him all he knew, after he joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as a child, and their manner of functioning.

What follows is Modi’s introduction, headlined ‘Patram… Pushpam’, to the book.

India’s identity cannot be limited to its style of government, its politics and its power. We must also consider its cultural heritage to get a wholesome picture.

India’s rishis, saints and sadhus, acharyas and dharm-gurus, wise men and scientists, teachers and those who serve society, these great men have contributed to its identity.

For thousands of years, in one form or another, this tradition has come down and benefited us all. For generations this has been so and it is true even today, in our modern times.

If we are observant, we can spot these selfless men, making their quiet contribution in some corner of our blessed land. In 20th century India, one significant effort was mounted for service to the nation. This was the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The good Dr Hedgewar founded it and began the work of serving the motherland through character-building in society.

Today, the finest management lessons are taught in places like IIM, Harvard and Stanford.

Specific skills and character-forming things are taught here.

But we must place these institutions and their western models against the RSS’s Indian model and study the differences and similarities.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s speciality has always been its stress on penance, faith, commitment, sacrifice, persistence and such things over acquiring power or influence.

As a Swayamsevak of the RSS, I was fortunate to have imbibed these values. For me personally, my own lack of capacity may have prevented me from absorbing all that the RSS had to offer. And perhaps there are still a few things missing in me. But I can say for sure that what is best in me, finest in me, is due in large part to my training with the RSS.

In this cultural journey of mine, there are many men, small in the eyes of the world but giants in reality, whom I have had the opportunity and privilege to learn from.

Their affection, their abilities helped me along in my journey. For lack of time, I’ve been unable to pay my respects to these men through reminiscence before this.

What they have done - without expectation of anything, having offered life and all its years to our society - this tradition of theirs is not very well known in society.

It is very rarely that these men and their work is noticed. But the fragrance of their efforts perfumes the air we breathe. It is possible that often inspiration is drawn from the stories of such men. It is for this reason, and also for my own satisfaction, that I’m writing and putting before the public the stories of these great architects of society

I have neither ability nor capacity to properly assess these lives. I’m just offering readers a few morsels.

As a Swayamsevak, I am accepting my debt to them in writing this. Readers might also better understand the RSS and its work through my writing, that is my hope.