Advitiya Karmayogi - Narendra Modi

The media and opposition are going berserk over Modi’s two-day meditation at Dhyan Mandapam at Vivekananda Rock. It seems like a fitting conclusion to the hustle and bustle of the two-month-long election campaign. This election felt like a match between a Yogi, focused with his mind, body, and spirit on his goal, and an opposition that was haywire, making incoherent statements, offering unachievable promises, and presenting half-baked narratives like wealth distribution. It was a contest between a ‘Nispruhi’ man (detached) and a heated-up, hot-headed, directionless group. Consequently, the result will be as long foretold.

If we zoom out and look at Modi as a person shaping Bharat for a glorious and prosperous future, it becomes evident that his impact is much more profound than what we have witnessed so far. We have seen glimpses of his personality, which a distant observer wouldn’t have noticed until now. However, with his 200 rallies and 80 interviews this time, we could get a closer look.

My reading is that he is an ‘Advitiya Karma Yogi,’ a rare phenomenon we have hardly seen for many decades or centuries in our recent history. He is a figure who will continue to inspire many in Bharat’s journey. Many journalists asked him about the legacy he would like to leave behind. Naturally, he diverted and gave a politically correct answer. But if we consider his legacy, it will be a benchmark set so high in leadership that it will serve as a gold standard in world politics. It will be a living example of the Karma Yogi described by Krishna in the Gita. He is unfazed by external and internal opposition, works 18-20 hours non-stop, and has been doing so for the last 40 years, focused on one goal: working in seva of Bharat Mata for her glory and the prosperity of her children.

Over the course of his public life, he has continually added skills to his personal repertoire. Consider his planning skills, exemplified by initiatives like Jan Dhan to Kisan Samman Nidhi. When he started those bank accounts, people mocked him for supposedly opening accounts to transfer 15 lakhs. But he had a step-by-step plan: open 50 crore accounts, bring the unbanked into the banking system, empower them with Mudra loans, provide direct benefits of subsidies efficiently, build 4 crore homes with subsidies deposited directly into accounts, and rather than waiving farm loans—which helps big farmers inefficiently—start from the bottom of the farmer pyramid with the Kisan Samman Nidhi. This planning and execution, which would awe the best CEOs, was done by a self-educated person from a humble background on a 140 crore population scale. This alone can be a case study unheard of in world history.

Look at his electioneering skills, which involve mass communication and an understanding of sociology and human psychology at both fundamental and mass levels. After the first phase, when turnout was low due to multiple factors, he brought energy back to the election by daily countering the opposition narrative and presenting an alternative narrative that energized not only his voters but also the fence-sitters. Doing this across the length and breadth of India while addressing local factors and managing a coalition is unparalleled.

His life is also a blueprint for becoming such a Karma Yogi. It shows what kind of Saadhna one must do, the Sevabhaav one must work with, and the preparation, learning, observation, and execution skills one must gather. It’s not an easy, quick fix of a 1 or 2-year course; it’s the result of hard work and dedication in public life over decades. Future leaders and managers can learn a lot from his life, his way of functioning, his management, and his organizational style. If studied well, research on his life and way of functioning can serve as a leadership and management guide for future generations. We, as Bharatiyas, are fortunate to have him as a leader. The best service to his legacy would be to learn from his leadership and personality and try to imbibe the best we can in our daily lives.