New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi sleeps for ‘just 3.5 hours’ as he believes in quality over quantity, he told a group of Members of Parliament Thursday. PM Modi hosted a dinner Thursday for MPs belonging to the National Democratic Alliance constituents (NDA) at his residence for which the MPs travelled together in batches, boarded buses which took them to the PM’s residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. A number of MPs asked the Prime Minister to share recommendations for books and were told to read Benjamin Franklin’s biography, IT is learnt.
A number of MPs asked the Prime Minister to share recommendations for books and were told to read Benjamin Franklin’s biography. “It was a free-wheeling discussion and all topics were touched upon. He told us about his book recommendation which seems like a guiding tool for life as well as leadership. The book describes his (Franklin’s) systematic approach to self-improvement and he told the young lawmakers this could help them too to lead a more productive life,” said another MP.
The PM also highlighted the importance of communication and pointed out that during his tenure as the Gujarat Chief Minister all efforts were made to ensure none of the calls made to his office went unanswered as the government is accountable to the people.
According to sources, during the evening the PM visited all the tables but spent about one-and-a-half hours at table where Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde, NCP’s Praful Patel, Shambhavi Choudhary of LJP (Ram Vilas) and BJP’s Ravishankar Prasad, among others, were seated.
“He shared a number of insights especially on sleep, energy, and how to focus on certain issues. During our interaction he told us that he sleeps for just 3.5 hours as he believes in quality over quantity and this has helped him profoundly over the years,” said an MP who attended the dinner. Some issues raised by a number of MPs were anger and stress management.
“The PM also shared his mantra for stress and anger management. He said I simply don’t take stress whatever the issue. He also pointed out that one of the reasons for this is that he believes in writing down every emotion and then letting it go which has helped him tremendously,” added another MP.
The PM recounted a past incident where following a ‘bomb blast’ during his tenure in Gujarat he was advised against visiting the spot but he did not listen and went ahead. “The PM said it is important to take decisions and be accountable to them. He also pointed out that while things may upset him, he has never raised his voice against any bureaucrat and whenever he got upset or angry he simply used to write about that incident and that used to help him get over it,” said another MP.
A senior BJP MP said Modi also shared anecdotes from his days of struggle and how that helped shape his politics. “The PM was full of energy and interacted with a number of MPs. He also spoke at length on what he has learnt from his decades of public service. Many MPs asked him how he is able to handle pressure and he simply said ‘When your purpose is clear, pressure dissolves’”.
One of the MPs also asked him about his mastery over Hindi language considering his mother tongue is Gujarati, the Prime Minister reportedly shared an anecdote and pointed out that he learnt the language fluently by befriending cattle-herders at Mehsana railway station where he used to work.
Another member of the House said that while the PM ensured he interacted with each of the MPs, he spent a considerable time with young and first-time legislators.
(Edited by Vidhi Bhutra)