Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman yesterday said that she was proud to have a leader of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stature.
“Modi ji is a person with qualities like discipline and sympathy for the poor, who came to public life and is now a great leader. I am proud to have a leader of such stature,” she said.
She was speaking at an event here after releasing “Sindhanai Kalanjiyam”, the Tamil translation of poems written originally in Gujarati by Modi.
Speaking in Tamil, Sitharaman said she was happy to see Modi in a new light, as a poet.
The defence minister said Modi, contrary to the general perception that he was autocratic, was a person who did what was required of the people.
Noted Tamil poet Vairamuthu praised Modi, saying his talent as a poet needs appreciation. He also hailed Modi for his gesture when he called on the ailing DMK leader, M Karunanidhi, during his visit to the city on November 6.
The collection of poems has been translated into Tamil by Rajalakshmi Srinivasan, a Sanskrit professor.
The Defence Minister said the “presumptions” one had about the Prime Minister was that he was an ‘autocrat,’ but this book brought out a different side of the leader.
“While reading the book, I got to see a completely different side to our leader,” Sitharaman said.
“Lots of people say he will not understand our problems but this book will portray him in a different light.”
“As the world becomes a smaller place, it is important to be exposed to all kinds of literature,” said Srinivasan.
