Modi for you: Moments when he touched the heart

Public moments of Narendra Modi
Modi, a true leader

Narendra Modi the leader of the masses and the classes

Narendra Modi is the man of the mass and he has proved this mettle as a populist leader time and again. Be it breaking security protocols to meet and greet his young fans or showing elders the respect they deserve openly, Modi has set moral standards of conduct for public servants like never before. Some may coin it to be political gimmicks, but every time he reaches out to the mass, he attracts immense public support and applaud.

Here are a few instances when he touched the humility cord:

When he became the microphone man: PM Modi got up from his seat to adjust the microphone for Jayapur gram's pradhan Durga Devi. Modi was sitting in his place until he realised the Durga Devi was inaudible to the audience. Without hesitation, he got up from his seat and adjusted the mic for her.

When he lent a helping hand to a journalist: It was a rare sight. The PM of India helping a journalist to stand up as he fell tried clicking a picture of him. This not only earned him accolades in the media circuit, but also showed him in a different light.

When he touched the feet of 104-year old woman: Appreciating the gesture of a 104-year old Kunwar bai from Chhattisgarh who built bathrooms by selling her goats to make her village open defecation-free, PM Narendra Modi touched her feet in front of his audience. This was yet another gesture of humility on his part.

Protocols are not cast in stone, PM Modi had once said. Interestingly, he has lived up to every word of it. For instance, when former President APJ Abdul Kalam passed away, he touched his brother's feet while mourning his death. Some of the other instances where he broke the protocol include:

Meeting Barack Obama at the airport: When Barack Obama came visiting India, he received a warm hug from the PM of India. A breach of protocol, but the gesture sent out a positive message to India's friends.

The China meet: Modi's visit to China was equally memorable where he met the general public breaching security.

Modi also broke protocol after the Independence Day celebration in 2014 and Republic Day celebration in 2015 when he went out of the way greeting the audience. He also earned accolades for his gesture of walking down the Rajpath during the Independence Day celebrations this year to greet his audience at large.

If the true traits of a leader are humility, clarity and courage, PM Narendra Modi indeed is one. The man who bowed down in reverence at the steps of the Parliament when he was elected the Prime Minister of India to the man who broke down during a public speech in Goa while talking about his nation and his mother, Modi has come a long way as the leader of both the classes and the masses.