Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is celebrating his 75th birthday, and the BJP has organized events all across the country. After serving a long political career as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of India for the first time in 2014. Since then, he has continued to lead the country into 2024. On this occasion of his birthday, we unfold the story of his 'guru,' who first opened the doors of the RSS for Narendra Modi. Lakshmanrao Inamdar played a significant role in Narendra Modi's journey from being a common RSS worker to becoming the Prime Minister.
Time Spent Together at The RSS Office
In Ahmedabad, room number 3 on the ground floor of the Hedgewar Bhavan, the RSS office, used to be Narendra Modi's home when he was a propagator for the RSS. Just opposite this room, in room number 1 lived the person whom Modi always revered, Lakshmanrao Inamdar. Inamdar, a prominent volunteer of the RSS in Gujarat, had a special role in Narendra Modi's journey from a boy who left home after high school to work in a tea shop to eventually becoming a top leader of the nation.
This story dates back to a time when the media did not address Narendra Modi as PM Modi. In a May 19, 2014, issue, Sandeep Unnithan of India Today Magazine detailed Lakshmanrao Inamdar's life. Unnithan writes, "Inamdar was born in 1917 in the village of Khatav, 130 kilometers south of Pune. He was one of ten children of a government revenue officer. Inamdar joined the RSS immediately after securing a law degree from Pune University in 1943. He participated in the freedom struggle and led a front against the Nizam's rule in Hyderabad. As an RSS propagator in Gujarat, he led a simple, unmarried life."
Source: aajtak
Deep Respect in Narendra Modi's Heart
In 2013, Neelanjan Mukhopadhyay, author of the biography of Narendra Modi 'The Man, The Times,' mentioned Inamdar's influence on Modi, saying, "I have not seen anyone else evoke such respect in Modi's heart, whether alive or dead." Seshadri Chari, who was part of the BJP's national executive in 2014, stated, "Modi spent his early years in the RSS, and no one impacted him more than Vakil Saheb."
When Did They First Meet?
According to India Today's report, Modi met Inamdar for the first time in the early 1960s during his youth. Inamar, appointed in Gujarat since 1943 as the province propagator, traveled across cities encouraging young people to join branches. His powerful speeches in fluent Gujarati in Vadnagar mesmerized young Modi.
In 1969, having left home in Vadnagar, Modi reached Ahmedabad after spending some time at the Ramakrishna Ashram in Belur Math. According to Unnithan's 2014 report, Modi started working at his uncle's tea shop. It was here that he reconnected with Vakil Saheb, who resided at the RSS headquarters, Hedgewar Bhavan. Neelanjan Mukhopadhyay recalls, "Inamdar reappeared in Modi's life during a crossroads, but under his guidance at Hedgewar Bhavan, Modi never looked back."
Source: aajtak
Modi Did His Guru's Laundry
Inamdar worked with thousands of RSS youth activists, often meeting their families over dinner. Modi lived opposite his guru's room in room number three at Hedgewar Bhavan. Beginning at the lowest rung, he would rise early to make tea for propagators, clean the entire building, and wash Inamdar's clothes—a routine he followed for a year.
Narendra Modi closely observed how Vakil Sahab advocated for the RSS across the state. Inamdar wore white dhoti-kurta, read extensively, and listened to BBC World Service on his radio. Once fond of games like Kabaddi and Kho-Kho, he later stayed fit through Pranayama. A man with a friendly and simple demeanor, Inamdar would call upon his "ideal gentleman" when slightly annoyed.
Modi Became an RSS Propagator
Beneath this unassuming exterior lay a rigorous organizational builder. In 1972, he formally appointed Narendra Modi as an RSS propagator. Like a paternal figure, Inamdar also advised Modi to pursue a Bachelor's degree. "Naren, God has bestowed many gifts upon you; why not study further?" Vakil Saheb purchased study material for Modi from Delhi University. By 1973, Modi earned a BA in Political Science.
Andy Marino, author of 'Narendra Modi: A Political Biography,' told India Today, "Vakil Saheb was essentially the father of the RSS in Gujarat. He filled the void when Modi left home and came to Ahmedabad."
Went Underground During Emergency
Sandeep writes in his 2014 report, "Lakshmanrao's only surviving brother, 85-year-old Gajanan Inamdar retired from the Ahmedabad Electric Company. He recalls how a sturdily built young man with a thick black beard used to drop off his brother on a cream-colored Bajaj scooter in the early 1970s and even taught his ten-year-old son Deepak to ride. That young man was Narendra Modi."
In 1975, with the declaration of the Emergency in India, a ban was enforced on the RSS. Throughout the country, RSS workers were captured. Narendra Modi and his guru Inamdar chose to go underground. They spent the following months in disguise. Inamdar swapped his dhoti-kurta for a kurta-pajama, while Modi donned the guise of a Sikh and a hermit to elude the police. Like other RSS sympathizers, they dwelled in supporters' homes, making evasion easier for the authorities.
Inamdar passed away in 1984.
Modi's endeavors to keep the RSS spirit alive during the Emergency era aided his ascent through its ranks. Initially, he served as a district propagator in Vadodara, followed by roles in Nadiad, Dang, and Panchmahal districts until 1979. Once more at his guru's behest, Modi pursued a master's degree in political science at Gujarat University, which he completed in 1982.
In the early 1980s, senior officials diagnosed Inamdar with cancer. He continued to work for the RSS until his passing in 1984. Afterward, Narendra Modi preserved his mentor's diaries, but his absence created a deep void in Modi's life. As Modi explained to Marino, "In those days, whenever I faced a problem, I would speak with him. Now, I navigate my thought process on autopilot."
It may surprise you, but Narendra Modi first stepped into the Prime Minister's residence not in 2014 but in 2001. At that time, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister, and Modi was the BJP's National General Secretary. The PM's residence was then known as 7 Race Course Road. On August 18, 2001, Modi visited the residence for the launch of a book about his revered RSS mentor Lakshmanrao Inamdar. He may not have guessed that 13 years later, that house would become his official residence.
In an interview with Aaj Tak, Modi once said, "During my work for the RSS, there was one Lakshmanrao Inamdar. I wanted to share everything with him, and I did."
