10 Similarities Between Dhoni and Modi

Despite being anti-IPL, I have been following it a lot this season, partly because I want to rally behind our players who couldn’t win the World Cup. Sounds lame, doesn’t it? But hey, I’m being honest with you here.

A couple of weeks ago was my 32nd birthday. I was thinking of keeping celebrations low-key and chilling at home. Chennai Super Kings were playing Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede stadium and I was going to watch it at home (you can figure out my birth date now). Instead, Ramya got tickets for the Sachin Tendulkar Stand. Thanks to her, I finally saw Mahendra Singh Dhoni live in action.

If you know me (or have read my posts), you know that I am a huuuuge MS Dhoni fan. More than his powerful hitting and habit of winning, I admire his philosophies on life. I consider him as Dhonicharya and myself as Eklavya, though I haven’t learnt enough from him yet.

Dhoni was his typical self in the match - calm, composed and unhurried. It was mind-blowing to see the number of CSK supporters in a stadium in Mumbai, until Dhoni came out to bat. It then hit me like a bullet in the chest. They were all Dhoni fans! While screaming “Dhoni, Dhoni” with thousand others that night, I felt like I had seen this somewhere else. Oh yes, I had seen it on TV. A lot! Only instead of “Dhoni, Dhoni”, people were chanting “Modi, Modi”.

The similarities are striking

I thought about it on the way back. Are Dhoni and Modi similar? My heart and brain emphatically said “Yes! In more respects than one.” And when your heart and brain agree on something, you really want to talk about it! So I thought of listing 10 similarities between the two veterans in their respective fields.

1. Both carry the hopes of 1.2 billion countrymen on their shoulders
   One thing that unites India is cricket. And one thing that divides India is politics. Events in both of them impact the entire country massively. Being the captain of the Indian cricket team places a colossal burden on Dhoni’s shoulders, just like being the Prime Minister of India does to Modi. The entire nation’s hopes rest on them. But why do we have high hopes of them? Well, read point number 2.
   
   
2. Both possess unwavering self-belief
   As long as Dhoni is at the crease, any target, however distant, looks achievable. Remember the last time we felt like this? Yes, it was during the Sachin Tendulkar era. Similarly, when Modi galvanizes himself and his team into action, we are left inspired almost always. Remember the wave of delight across the country when the BJP won a landslide victory in the 2014 Elections? How do these 2 real life superheroes make us believe in them? How have they been so effective in what they do? It’s because they believe in themselves. They back their abilities, and deliver more often than not. And since others see in us what what see in ourselves, people believe in Dhoni and Modi too. Their sheer presence exudes a certain charisma and gives us hope - the only emotion stronger than fear.
   
   
3. Both have brilliant perspectives on things
   Yet another commonality between Dhoni and Modi is their enviable intelligence. This intelligence stems from years of mental and physical training, empowering them to have a brilliant perspective on things. They are astute students of life, possessing the ability to look beyond the present and chart out plans to handle situations before they even arise.
   
   For instance, here is how Modi meticulously plans every action of a strategy down to the last detail. And Dhoni… well, he says “People generally have Plan B to fall back on. I have Plans B, C and D.” Unbelievable!
   
   
4. Yet, both are massively misunderstood
   In this post, Oliver Emberton has beautifully explained that the more you impact people’s lives, the more they will misunderstand you. Since 2.4 billion eyes (and a lot of foreign ones) are watching both Dhoni and Modi closely, every move they make is scrutinized and dissected. And then there are us Indians. The more the world applauds one of our own for being unconventional, the more more we hurl insults at him (APJ Kalam is an exception to this rule, thankfully!). Someone who doesn’t tell us what his intent is, becomes an antagonist. Thankfully, both Modi and Dhoni keep away from the limelight. This saves them time that would otherwise be wasted in explaining their actions to people who won’t listen anyway. How they do it? How do they soak up this pressure and still be retain their amazing attitudes? The next point answers these questions.
   
   
5. Both have mastered the art of detachment
   The Bhagavad Gita preaches about performing action without attachment towards fruit. But how many of us can follow it? Well, Dhoni and Modi are two living beings who do so every single day. "If tomorrow he has to say goodbye to all the trappings of fame, Dhoni will calmly get on his motorbike and go away. He is that rarity who treats both those impostors - wins and losses - in the same way. He simply plays the game”, said Sunil Gavaskar.
   
   
   We have read unlimited articles and posts about Modi’s simple and austere lifestyle also. The sheer dignity with which our Prime Minister conducts himself despite what people say about him shows what he thinks of critics. I would love Modi to have 2 more terms as India’s Prime Minister. But if he doesn’t, I’m sure that he will still be at peace, knowing that he gave it his all. Such remarkable clarity of thought and ability to endure cannot be accomplished without detachment - from others’ opinions about them, materialistic pleasure, results and everything else.
   
   
6. Both aim to serve Mother India
   It’s amply clear from the Indian Prime Minister’s and cricket captain's interviews and speeches that their prime goal is to serve their nation. For Dhoni, his country comes above everything else, even above his parents. Narendra Modi has dedicated his entire life to serving his nation, including valiant actions that we don’t know about to keep India united.
   
   
7. Both distrust the media
   It’s no secret that both Modi and Dhoni distrust the media. By now we’re familiar with Modi’s aversion to mainstream media. Thousands of media journos beg for an interview with him, but he and his cabinet air their views only on Doordarshan and All India Radio. And he has substantially reduced the size of the entourage of the press traveling overseas with a Prime Minister, which has pissed off many journos who now write and talk horse shit about him frequently.
   
   
   Similarly, Dhoni has instructed the Indian cricket team not to speak to the media. He has shown what he thinks about the media on multiple instances. When asked about his retirement plans recently, Dhoni said “The media should conduct a thorough research, come up with conclusions and write the exact opposite, because that will be the truth.” On another occasion, when Dhoni was asked whether a rumor about the Indian team’s dressing room would be spread, he said “Newspapers like Times of India will do that for us. So I won't bother.” And I’m a sucker for people who don’t trust mainstream media.
   
   
8. Both give credit where it's due and prefer avoiding the limelight
   The Indian cricket team is called ‘Dhoni’s boys’. The current Indian government is called ‘the Modi government’. However, rarely, if ever, do we see either of these evolved souls taking centre stage and hogging the limelight. When India wins a trophy, Dhoni is generally invisible in the team photo, often standing with the support staff in the second row. When a good budget is announced or good policies are implemented, Modi is nowhere in the limelight either. He stealthily goes about his work to make India a better place to live in for you and me. Did you see his response to #ThankYouPM?
   
   
9. Both live in the present
   There is no denying that Dhoni and Modi work with the future in mind. They have to. However, they both possess the remarkable trait of living in the present moment. I have never seen Dhoni fuss about the future - he simply focuses on the current ball of the current over in the current match. Rahul Dravid says, “He has a unique ability to ignore consequences and soak up pressure. This makes it easier for everyone else. He is calm and measured. Win, lose, he can walk away.” And when he is off the field, he simply switches off from cricket and enjoys life outside.
   
   
   Modi is no different. Yes, he thinks a lot about our future (as he should), but he works in the present. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that he asks himself “What can I do now to improve our country’s future?”, and works accordingly. The last time developmental work was carried out at such furious pace was 1991. Instead of dreaming about our ideal future, Modi prefers to act in the present. And living the current moment to its fullest is the mark of a great human being.
   
   
10. Yet, we choose to learn from neither
    Both Dhoni and Modi have infinite lessons to teach us; lessons which will make us better human beings. Yet, we refuse to learn from them and instead carry on with our mundane and hollow lives. It’s like we fear the consequences of living like them. But trust me, life is much better when you emulate Dhoni and Modi. The shackles fall off and you no longer feel like singing “I want to break free” because you already have broken free.

Each of us comes in this world to serve a purpose. I think that God sent Dhoni and Modi to inspire millions of us, apart from excelling in their fields. And boy, do they serve their purposes well or what! I hope that someday, I get to meet them and learn more about the core philosophies that govern their lives. If I can be 10 percent as honest, as genuine and as driven as either of them, my life’s purpose will be accomplished.

I’m sure that you can point many more similarities between them which are not listed here. Why not share them in comments? And for heaven’s sake, keep them positive. There is enough negativity in this world, so you don’t need to contribute to it.

Do You & I Have a Role to Play in Modi’s FDI?

While launching the ‘Make in India’ campaign, Narendra Modi provided 2 definitions of FDI. One is for Indians to ‘First Develop India’ and the second is to encourage Foreign Direct Investment. He exhorted Indian organizations to invest in India and develop it so that foreign MNCs see our country as an attractive location to invest in. Modi targeted 25 sectors where, according to him, India can be leaders in manufacturing, which include railways, pharmaceuticals and airlines.

There is clamor that what Modi said is nothing new, that these points were already brought up by the UPA and that the latter was trying to implement these albeit on a small scale.

The Bhagavad Gita says that ‘Actions speak louder than words’. Never before had India been so bullish about improving sanitary conditions. Nor has a PM come out with a proposal to build on what he said in such a short time (the ‘Make In India’ program was launched within 45 days of Modi’s Independence Day speech). The man’s mission was clear the day he pressed his forehead to the stairs of the Parliament. Plus we haven’t seen even 1 senior member of the current government trying to take credit for the Mangalyaan success. No political battles, no trying to hog the limelight… Modi and team just gave it to whom it was due.

These go to show that (at least for now) we can assume that Modi’s intentions are noble. He wants to recover some of India’s lost glory, and is putting in effort for it too. The latest of his efforts is ‘Make In India’ where he has portrayed FDI in 2 different ways.

Do we have a role to play in Modi’s first definition of FDI i.e. First Develop India? By we, I mean anyone who doesn’t own a large business capable of heavily investing in India’s infrastructural development. You and I. Well, we do.

Make In India - Modi's Latest Program

If you are reading this article, you are fortunate enough to have been endowed with good education; education which many Indians don’t get. How is India going to grow when most of our employment is still in the unorganized sector? How is it going to grow when the biggest complaint of the corporate sector today is the lack of skilled manpower?

The onus lies on you and me to educate the coming generations. By education, I don’t mean teaching what’s in the curriculum (although if you can, it will be amazing). Education here means improving the skill levels of the population which is about to enter the workforce. The chasm between academics and corporate is glaring. Many employees (freshers & experienced) are unable to communicate properly, think of ways to grow business and reduce costs, use basic tools to even make data look presentable, let alone look at it from different angles. They’re unprepared for leadership.

What can you and I do? Well, we can find time outside our busy schedules to spend with these youngsters who need our help; youngsters who are the future of our country. One day of working less than 11 hours or skipping 1 party a week will not hurt. On the contrary, the time you spend educating students and young professionals will give you an immense sense of satisfaction. Plus, if you make a difference to even 1 person’s life (directly or indirectly), you will have contributed to the development of your country.

Here are 3 things you can focus on teaching students/youth:

1. Soft Skills - Skills which improve the EQ (Emotional Quotient) of youth. These include time and people management, the ability to write and speak fluently and other factors which positively impact their careers. These skills in employees will increase the output of organizations tremendously, which will in turn help in the growth of the country. These organizations can then FDI.
2. Lateral Thinking - One of the key factors missing today in people is the ability to think laterally. Parents and teachers want students to stand out in a crowd by doing the same things which the crowd is doing. Is it possible? Teach students to think laterally, to expose themselves to varied situations, to read about successes/failures outside their domains, and these students will develop risk taking capabilities. They will start thinking unconventionally and challenge the status quo, which, ultimately, will help the business which they’re working in.
3. Mindfulness - A common term used in the corporate world today, mindfulness is a mix of techniques to calm the mind. Through yoga, meditation, focus and other exercises, people start think clearly. This saves them from acting impulsively and unethically. Youth will learn the importance of respect, introspection and integrity. It also helps to steer the youth from distractions like smartphones, Big Boss and lets them use their time for better purposes.

Whether Modi is able to bring about the change he wants is not the point now. The point is that he has given the country a much needed shot in the arm after half a decade of poor governance by the UPA. It is our responsibility to support a PM whom we have elected by contributing in any way we can. And no way is too small in relation to what transpires in the cosmos. So stand up. Give your country what you can. Here’s your chance to contribute to its progress. Don’t let this moment pass you by. For all you know, you may find your life’s true calling.

You may agree or disagree with me. That’s fair. Do let me know your thoughts in the comments.