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PM Modi Story (Narrate by: Kanchan Banerjee, NRI-USA)
When Shri Narendra Modi visited the United States for the first time in 1993, his curiosity for technology and advancements in science was evident. Shri Modi, then a young RSS Pracharak, made it a point to absorb every detail about the technological innovations shaping the US.
Kanchan Banerjee, a US-based healthcare professional accompanying Shri Modi during his visit, recalls their trip to the American space agency NASA in Houston, Texas. Banerjee introduced Shri Modi to Kamlesh Lalaji, a senior figure at NASA, and invited him to explore the world of space and aeronautics. Banerjee was struck by Shri Modi’s intense curiosity. “He was asking questions as if he were a physicist,” Banerjee recalls. “His understanding of science and space was remarkable, and the complexity of his questions took me by surprise.”
Beyond his fascination with science, Shri Modi’s simplicity and self-reliance were also clear during this visit. Banerjee shares that Shri Narendra Modi travelled with just a small bag containing two pairs of clothes and a camera, a reflection of his passion for photography. Despite staying at others’ homes, Shri Modi never imposed on his hosts. “When my wife offered to wash his clothes, he politely refused, insisting that he would do it himself,” Banerjee says. “That sense of self-reliance, ingrained from his time as a Pracharak, was a core part of his character.”
During his travels, Shri Narendra Modi also demonstrated an early interest in solar and green energy. In Boston, during discussions with scientists, he pointed out a key issue with solar panels being installed on cultivable land, which rendered the land useless for farming. Shri Modi suggested placing solar panels over irrigation canals instead, which would both save land and reduce water evaporation from the canals. This idea was later implemented in India, showing his foresight in sustainable development.
Shri Modi also witnessed automated toll booths for the first time during his visit to Boston, recognizing their potential for eliminating human error and reducing corruption. He quickly saw how these innovations could be adapted to India, not by simply copying, but by tailoring them to the country’s needs.
Kanchan Banerjee recalls that Shri Narendra Modi’s travels through major US cities, including New York, Chicago, and Atlanta, left a lasting impact on him. “I’m sure he must have felt pained seeing India’s poverty and backwardness during those times,” Banerjee says. Shri Modi’s experience likely fuelled his focus on development, understanding that improving basic living standards was essential to lifting people out of poverty.