President Obama calls PM Modi 'India's Reformer-in-Chief'
04/16/2015

Obama Writes Article on PM Modi in Time Magazine, Calls Him 'India's Reformer-in-Chief'

NEW YORK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi features on Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people with an article on him titled, " India's reformer- in-chief" Byline, Barack Obama.

President Obama describes PM Modi's journey"from poverty to Prime Minister" as one that reflects the dynamismand potential of India's rise.

"As a boy, Narendra Modi helped his father sell tea to support their family. Today, he's the leader of the world's largest democracy, and his life story-from poverty to Prime Minister-reflects the dynamism and potential of India's rise," writes POTUS.

The American President has said, "Determined to helpmore 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."

And also, "Like India, he transcends theancient and the modern - a devotee of yoga who connects with Indian citizens onTwitter and imagines a 'digital India'."

President Obama has recalled PM Modi's visit to Washington last year, when, in a last-minute change of schedule, he joined the Indian Prime Minister on a visit to a memorial to American civil rights activist Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

"We reflected on the teachings of King andGandhi and how the diversity of backgrounds and faiths in our countries is astrength we have to protect. Prime Minister Modi recognises that more than 1 billion Indians living and succeeding together can be an inspiring model for the world," writes President Obama, who was the chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations in January this year, the first American president to be so.

The US President is on that Time list too; thearticle on him has been written by Time magazine's political columnist JoeKlein. The author of Chinese premier Xi Jinping's profile is Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia.

Also on Time's list of influential people - Timesays its has included titans, pioneers, artists, icons and leaders who areshaping the future - are musician Kanye West and his reality star wife KimKardashian, Microsoft's India-born CEO Satya Nadella, Pakistani activist andNobel prize winner Malala Yousafzai, Apple CEO Tim Cook, German chancellor Angelamerkel, Pope Francis and US Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.

Other Indians who feature are ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochchar and Vikram Patel, co-founder of the NGO Sangath and the Centre for Global Mental Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.