When stay at Varanasi's DLW reminded PM Modi of his childhood

Varanasi, Nov 8: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stay at Varanasi's Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) premises brought back memories of his childhood when he was closely associated with trains. The PM has many a times shared that he used to sell tea at a railway station in Gujarat, in his childhood days.

Writing in the visitors' book, the prime minister, giving expression to his feelings, said his stay at DLW during his two-day visit to Varanasi had been an emotional experience.

"From childhood, I have been related to the railways, railway station and train compartment. I have been staying at this (DLW) premises since yesterday. The atmosphere about railways on all sides has connected me to my childhood," Modi said.

He said that probably for the first time all the memories of his childhood, "those train compartments, those passengers, all the scenes came alive before his eyes".

"These memories were very emotional. The affections of people here left a mark," he said, thanking the DLW staff and terming them "karmyogi" (hard-working).

Modi, who is MP from Varanasi, said he will be coming to DLW time and again.

"New possibilities, new resolves will arise along with memories of childhood," he said.

"May Mother Ganga`s love and blessings keep our country, and our thoughts, clean," he added.

Modi was born into a lower middle class family in the small Gujarat town of Vadnagar and spent time on railway stations selling tea.

His father made tea at the Vadnagar railway station which Modi, called Kumar as a child, sold to train passengers for one anna (six paise) or two annas for "special tea".

Modi, six years old then, would wake up at 5 am daily. Even while at school he would skip out when he heard the hooting of an incoming train, sell tea and then quickly return to the class.

The DLW was set up in 1961 as a green field project in technical collaboration with US' ALCO for manufacture of diesel electric locomotives.

As per NitiCentral, following is a Hindi transcript of the Prime Minister's handwritten notes in the visitor's log book:

"बचपन से ही मेरा नाता रेल्वे से रहा,
रेल्वे स्टेशन से रहा,
रेल के डिब्बे से रहा।

कल से मैं यहीं
DLW के परिसर में ठहरा हूँ।
चारों तरफ रेल्वे के माहौल ने मुझे मेरे बचपन से जोड़ दिया।

शायद पहली बार
पूरा समय बचपन,
वो रेल्वे डिब्बे, वो यात्री, सबकुछ
मेरी आँखों के सामने ज़िंदा हो गया।
वे यादें बहुत ही भावुक थी।

यहां सबका अपनापन बहुत भाया।
सभी कर्मयोगी भाइयों को धन्यवाद।

अब तो मुझे बार बार यहां आना होगा।
फिर बचपन की स्मृतियों के साथ
नए संकल्प, संभावनाएं बनेंगी।

माँ गंगा का प्यार और आशीर्वाद
हमारे देश को निर्मल बनाये,
हमारी सोच को निर्मल बनाये
यही प्रार्थना।"

(नरेन्द्र मोदी)
8.11.2014

(With inputs from IANS)