Charismatic to Communal: TIME’s Changed Take on PM Modi Over Time
The QuintIn Modi’s second listing, his description was penned by the then US President, the widely admired Barack Obama. Within a year of coming to power, Modi, who was once banned from entering the United States, was being praised - by one of America’s finest Presidents - as a man with a vision for India’s economy, digital reform and an influential voice for climate change. Here’s what Obama wrote in 2015: “As a boy, Narendra Modi helped his father sell tea to support their family. Determined to help more Indians follow in his path, he’s laid out an ambitious vision to reduce extreme poverty, improve education, empower women and girls and unleash India’s true economic potential while confronting climate change. Like India, he transcends the ancient and the modern—a devotee of yoga who connects with Indian citizens on Twitter and imagines a “digital India.” When he came to Washington, Narendra and I visited the memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We reflected on the teachings of King and Gandhi and how the diversity of backgrounds and faiths in our countries is a strength we have to protect.