PM Modi Recalls Early BJP Days, Fax Machines and Diwali Milan Duties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday looked back at his early organisational years in the BJP, recalling a time when sending a press release meant searching for a fax machine and his responsibilities included arranging seating and looking after guests at party gatherings.

Speaking in Delhi, Modi said that in the early 1990s he was given responsibility for managing logistics for two major nationwide tours.

He contrasted communications technology of that period with the speed and reach available today, recalling the difficulty of finding a fax machine whenever a press statement needed to be sent.

Modi Recalls Nationwide Tour Responsibilities

Modi said his responsibilities during the early 1990s included coordinating logistics for major nationwide political journeys.

The period was an important stage in his career as a BJP organiser, before he later moved into senior organisational roles in Delhi.

He did not focus on the political objectives of the tours in this particular recollection, instead highlighting the practical work that went on behind the scenes.

‘Even Sending a Press Release Required Finding a Fax’

The Prime Minister recalled how communication operated before email, smartphones and social media became commonplace.

He said that when a press release had to be distributed, organisers often first had to locate a functioning fax machine.

His remarks highlighted how dramatically political communication and media operations have changed over the past three decades.

Recalls BJP Office on Ashoka Road

Modi said that after moving to Delhi, he continued to carry organisational responsibilities from the BJP’s former headquarters on Ashoka Road.

The BJP operated for decades from its Ashoka Road headquarters before shifting to its current Deendayal Upadhyaya Marg office.

Modi spent several years working from the old party headquarters while serving in national organisational positions.

Modi Says He Arranged Seating at Diwali Milan

Recalling Diwali gatherings from those years, Modi said his primary task was not delivering speeches but ensuring that guests were properly received and seated.

He said he was responsible for arranging chairs and taking care of those attending the programmes.

That recollection is consistent with an earlier account from a BJP Diwali Milan in 2014, when Modi told journalists that he had once handled seating arrangements for the media during his organisational years at the party headquarters.

Modi Remembers Closer Personal Interactions

The Prime Minister said there were far fewer cameras during those years, but described personal relationships as warm and close.

His remarks focused on the more informal atmosphere surrounding political and media interactions before smartphones, 24-hour digital media and social platforms transformed public communication.

Diwali Milan Has Long Been Part of BJP Tradition

Diwali Milan gatherings have remained a recurring feature of the BJP’s engagement with party workers, journalists and other groups.

Modi has participated in several such events over the years.

At a BJP headquarters Diwali Milan in 2016, he spoke about public participation, cleanliness and the importance of healthy discussion in democracy.

From Organisational Worker to Prime Minister

The PM Modi early BJP days recollection offered a glimpse into his years as a party organiser before he became Gujarat Chief Minister in 2001 and later Prime Minister in 2014.

Rather than focusing on senior political positions, Modi used the anecdote to describe routine responsibilities such as tour management, communications, hospitality and event organisation.

Technology Has Transformed Political Communication

The reference to fax machines also underscored the technological changes that have reshaped political communication.

Press releases that once had to be physically faxed to media organisations can now be distributed instantly through email, websites and social media platforms.

Political events themselves have also changed, with live broadcasts, smartphones and social platforms making gatherings far more visible than they were during the early 1990s.

Modi Says Warmth of Relationships Remained Strong

Despite the technological differences, Modi said the personal warmth surrounding such gatherings remained important.

His recollections centred on organisational work, interactions with guests and the personal connections built during his years at the BJP headquarters in Delhi.