As a child, Narendra Modi sold tea with his father at a railway station in Vadnagar, the Indian city of his birth. In his teens, he helped his brother run a tea stall in a bus terminus, serving buns and steaming cups of chai.
Fast forward five decades to 2014 when Modi was elected the prime minister of India.
“I came from a very poor family,” the 65-year-old politician told Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg during a Facebook “town hall” on Sunday. “It's hard to imagine that a tea seller has actually become the leader of the world's biggest democracy.”
During the hour-long Q&A session at Facebook’s Menlo Park, California, campus, Modi fielded several questions about the potential of social media and his thoughts on women’s empowerment. But it was one query in particular, posed by Zuckerberg himself, that elicited the strongest response from the Indian prime minister.
“I understand that your mother is very important in your life so I’m hoping you’ll tell us more about her,” Zuckerberg said.
Modi went on to speak about his impoverished childhood, and how his mom struggled to make ends meet.
“When we were small, what we used to do to get by … was that we used to go to our neighbors’ houses … to clean the dishes, fill water, do hard chores,” Modi said, his voice quavering. “So you can imagine what a mother had to do to raise her children, what she had to go through.”
He added that this wasn’t just the “case with Narendra Modi. In India, there are hundreds and thousands of mothers like that … mothers who’ve sacrificed their entire lives for their children.”
Modi’s Facebook session was reportedly well-received by the 1,200 people in attendance. FirstPost reports that the town hall ended with a standing ovation for the Indian leader.
The Q&A, however, has also been met with some criticism. Quartz.com, for instance, slammed the event for being too light on substance.
Modi’s Facebook appearance comes during the politician’s whirlwind tour of Silicon Valley that has included meetings with the CEOs of Apple, Google, Tesla and other leading tech companies.
The prime minister’s West Coast trip also comes hot on the heels of a similar visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Just last week, Xi was in Seattle meeting with several tech leaders, including Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
