Page 34 - The Indian EYE 101626

NORTH AMERICAN Newsline OCTOBER 16, 2026 | The Indian Eye 34

25 YEARS OF SEWA:

Narendra Modi’s journey of service

JAGDISH SEWHANI on the world stage has itself been a
source of enormous pride.
ctober 7 marks an extraordi- Yet perhaps the most compelling
nary milestone in the public expression of sewa has come when
Olife of Prime Minister Nar- India has extended a helping hand
endra Modi. Twenty-five years ago, beyond its own people.
on October 7, 2001, he took oath as During the COVID-19 pan-
Chief Minister of Gujarat. What be- demic, India supplied vaccines and
gan that day has become one of the medicines to countries around the
most remarkable journeys in contem- world. During conflicts and natural
porary Indian public life — first lead- disasters, India has undertaken hu-
ing Gujarat and, since 2014, serving manitarian and evacuation missions,
as Prime Minister of India. sometimes helping citizens of other
To me, one word best describes countries alongside its own. India’s
these 25 years: SEWA—SERVICE development partnerships across the
Prime Minister Modi has repeat- Global South have similarly reflect-
edly described himself not as a ruler ed the belief that progress acquires
but as a Pradhan Sevak, a servant of greater meaning when it is shared.
the people. Whatever one’s political This philosophy draws from an
persuasion, the extraordinary ener- ancient Indian idea: Vasudhaiva Ku-
gy with which he has pursued public tumbakam — the world is one family.
life is difficult to ignore. His work Twenty-five years is a long time
ethic, discipline and ability to con- in public life. Governments change.
nect public policy with the everyday Political circumstances change. Na-
aspirations of ordinary Indians have tions themselves change. What is
become hallmarks of his leadership. striking about Narendra Modi’s jour-
His concept of sewa has also ney from Gandhinagar to New Delhi
sought to give dignity to those who is the continuity of his central mes-
were too often at the margins of In- sage: Public office must ultimately be
dia’s development. about service.
A home for a poor family is not There will, naturally, be different
merely a roof. A toilet is not merely assessments of any leader who has
infrastructure. A bank account can governed for so long and attempted
mean financial inclusion and inde- change on such a scale. That is the
pendence. Clean drinking water can nature of democracy. But milestones
transform the health of an entire also provide an opportunity to look
family. Electricity, cooking gas and at the larger arc of a public life.
digital connectivity can change op- Modi’s 25-year journey is ulti-
portunities available to people, par- ton, Washington and other cities security, development or the con- mately a story of sewa — service to the
ticularly women. around the world, his interaction cerns of the Global South. poor, service to India’s aspirations,
This is where Modi’s philosophy with the diaspora has carried a con- Modi’s leadership has also giv- service that reaches out to the Indian
of service has been most visible: in sistent message — India values your en India a larger role in shaping the diaspora, and service that increas-
attempting to translate large nation- achievements, takes pride in your international agenda. From India’s ingly extends beyond India’s shores.
al ambitions into tangible improve- success and considers you a partner G20 presidency and the inclusion of On October 7, as Narendra
ments in people’s lives. in its future. the African Union as a permanent Modi completes 25 years in elected
But the story of these 25 years That emotional connection matters. member of the grouping to strength- executive office, India can look back
extends well beyond India’s borders. For generations of Indians who ening partnerships with the United at an extraordinary journey. But per-
As someone who has spent de- built their lives abroad, India was States, Europe, the Indo-Pacific and haps the more important question is
cades working with the Indian-Amer- always home in their hearts. Under the Global South, he has sought to what lies ahead.
ican community, I have witnessed Modi, the diaspora has increasingly position India as a country capable For a man who has made sewa
another transformation: the relation- been treated not simply as a com- of building bridges in an increasingly the vocabulary of his public life, the
ship between India and its diaspora. munity of expatriates, but as a bridge divided world. His engagement with milestone should not be seen as a
Prime Minister Modi has made between India and the world. leaders across geopolitical divides destination.
overseas Indians feel that while they At the same time, India’s stat- reflects a belief that India need not It is another day in the service of
may live thousands of miles from In- ure internationally has risen signifi- choose between competing centres India.
dia, they remain an integral part of cantly. Today, India participates in of power, but can speak with confi- Jagdish Sewhani, President The
India’s story. global conversations with greater dence in its own voice. For millions American India Public Affairs Com-
From Madison Square Garden confidence — whether on economic of Indians at home and abroad, mittee and America Bharat (India)
in New York to gatherings in Hous- growth, technology, climate change, seeing India command that respect Friendship Council.

www.TheIndianEYE.com