Rockstar Modi Has Youth Force On Hotline

His connection with the youth is instant, and almost magical. The first Prime Minister of India to have been born in a free country, Narendra Modi wears the aspirations of youth on his shoulders. And, he knows that it is the weight of their hope that he carries the most.

He grew into a phenomenon during the run up to the general elections in India. His campaigns were charged, and his speeches were electrifying for the youth. He spoke their language – of setting things right, of fixing the loopholes and building a new country that’ll exude confidence.

Youth loved him, and they still do, for his determination, simple ways establishing a connection with them in a language they perfectly understand. The language of hope, technology, responsibility and carefully casual – these are his keywords for a ‘youthful’ connection.

Indian youth know their leader by now. In the last few days, even the youth of America got to know the energy of this mid-60s man who connected with them on their platform. When Modi turned up at The Global Citizen Festival at the Central Park in NY, he used his usual charm and left the crowd of 60,000 youths spellbound.

When he appeared on stage, dressed in his trademark mute-shade kurta with cobalt blue color jacket, and spoke to the electrifying youth, he made an instant connect by asking “How are you New York?” Make note, the speech was in English and not his most preferred Hindi.

Further, he told them: “I’m happy to be here and not in a closed conference room.” That was such a ‘bang on’ statement to make at an event like this!

He spoke of poverty, his country’s hopes, focus on improving living conditions in India, and drew endless applause from the youth who saw him being a very commanding leader who knew his facts and subjects.

Emphasising on youth power is what he has done since long. Even here, where he shared an unconventional stage with musicians like Alicia Keys, Sting, JayZ, Beyonce, Underwood etc., he was at home with his Indian persona. He touched a chord with the most liberal audience without the filter of a critical media and bond with them on dreams about tomorrow. He appreciated the youth who had made the Global Citizen Youth Festival a forum to fight poverty and ensure justice for all.

“May the force be with you” was his message to the youth when he closed his speech standing before the youth who watched him in absolute admiration. After all, the leader addressing them was none other than the new Prime Minister of the world’s biggest surviving democracy!

And though he came from a background that would be deemed conventional, the man was able to make inroads into the psyche of the youth who had engrossed themselves in office spaces, courtesy the advanced technology and technical powerhouse that India had transformed itself into.

Even on earlier occasions, like the recent Indian independence day speech, when he addressed the youth (of India) from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi, his message was simple, clear and strong. He was not one of the run-of-the-mill bureaucracy-dependent leader who was going to read out a speech devoid of emotions. He meant every word he said, and he said it with the right intonation. Sanitation, poverty and hunger for progress figure in his every speech now. He surely knows the way to a youth’s heart.

Image: Indiatimes