{
  "id": 8248726,
  "title": "Making power a vehicle of seva",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/making-power-a-vehicle-of-seva",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T12:58:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/making-power-a-vehicle-of-seva-10883996/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nearly all men can withstand adversity, but testing a man's character often requires giving him power. Abraham Lincoln once noted this in his wisdom. Narendra Modi, hailing from an ideological school that taught him \"Path ka antim lakshya nahi hai simhasan chadte jaana\" (ascension to power is not the ultimate aim of our journey), has exemplified this. The song also emphasizes the journey's purpose: \"Sab samaj ko liye saath me aage hai badhte jaana\" (march along, carrying the entire society with you) and \"safal rashtra ka anupam vaibhav sabhi bhanti se hai laana\" (bring about the ultimate glory of the successful nation in all respects).\n\nSince his entry into public service, Modi's vision and mission have been the guiding force. Upon the Modi government's inception, it was proclaimed that \"We are not here merely for reform. Reform is good, but it is largely about tinkering with the existing system. PM Modi’s vision is transformative.\" This transformative approach has been adopted in the West, with the saying \"a society gets a government it deserves.\" However, in the Mahabharata's Shanti Parva, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira, \"Raja kalasya karanam\" (the king is the master of the times).\n\nModi has embraced this transformative agenda through two approaches: one advocated by Machiavelli and the other by Kautilya. In \"The Prince,\" Machiavelli suggested that \"a prince who wants to keep his authority must learn how not to be good.\" On the other hand, Kautilya argued that a ruler's happiness lies in the happiness of his subjects, emphasizing the need for discipline and compassion. To showcase his commitment to Kautilyan principles, Modi launched a month-long seva sankalp campaign, signifying his dedication to selfless service. Seva, a distinct Indian concept, goes beyond the general understanding of \"service\" as an altruistic civic duty. It is a spiritual practice that aids in self-purification and the shedding of ego, treating the giver as human and the receiver as divine. This concept of serving humans as serving God (nar seva as Narayan seva) is deeply rooted in Indian thought.\n\nModi's governance is deeply rooted in the spiritual notion of serving society with devotion. His leadership has displayed courage, compassion, and equanimity, particularly during the Covid crisis. Confucius once pondered the response to being slapped on one cheek: should one respond with equal harm, or should one foster justice and righteousness? Modi's governance has embodied this sense of justice, adhering to qualities such as honesty, communication skills, confidence, commitment, positive attitude, innovation, intuition, and inspiration. Among these, Narendra Modi stands out as a leader possessing all these attributes.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}