Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an interview on Wednesday said that he used to wash his own clothes until he became Gujarat chief minister.
In an interaction with actor Akshay Kumar, PM Modi said that it was in his nature to look presentable and live properly.
“Until I became Gujarat CM, I used to wash my own clothes. It was in my nature to live properly,” PM Modi said.
When asked about his dressing sense especially preferring to wear half-sleeved kurtas, PM Modi said that it was to make it easier for him to wash them.
“I realised that if my kurtas had longer sleeves, it would only mean I had to wash them thoroughly. They would also take up space in my suitcase. So I would shorten them myself by cutting them,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi also recalled that his need to look presentable came from an interiority complex he experienced in his life because of poverty.
PM Modi said that he used to iron his clothes using hot coal in an utensil as he did not have an iron.
“Because of poverty, I used to feel inferior sometimes while being among peeople. So, to overcome that, I used to iron my clothes by putting hot coal in a utensil to iron my clothes. So that I would look proper,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi also revealed that he did not have shoes when he was a child. His uncle bought him a pair of white canvas shoes.
“I did not have shoes. My uncle came home one day and I he bought me canvas white shoes,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi also said that he used to clean his shoes using the discarded chalk in his classroom.
“The shoes were white and got dirty within days. So, I used to clean my shoes with the chalk in the classroom every morning,” PM Modi said.
Agencies