The Bromance Is Still Alive! Obama Scribbles Note For Modi In Time 100 List!

Time magazine naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi among its 100 most influential people in the world is no big deal; the surprise is US President Obama writing a personal acclamation in the magazine praising Modi for his vision of India.
"Determined to help more 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," Obama writes in a brief 166-word plaudit, adding that "like India, he transcends the ancient and the modern - a devotee of yoga who connects with Indian citizens on Twitter and imagines a digital India.

The man who is having a torrid time at the hands of Tea Party enthusiasts in US also invokes Modi's chaiwalla background, recalling that "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."

The accolades also subtly respond to critics who thought Modi went overboard by repeatedly referring to the US president by his first name Barack during his visit to India, while Obama merely referred to him as Mr Prime Minister. This time, it is Obama who refers to Modi by his first name, albeit only once.

PIB

"When he came to Washington, Narendra and I visited the memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.," writes Obama, adding, ''We reflected on the teachings of King and Gandhi and how the diversity of backgrounds and faiths in our countries is a strength we have to protect."

"Prime Minister Modi recognizes that more than 1 billion Indians living and succeeding together can be an inspiring model for the world,'' Obama notes.

There is no sense of implicit criticism that many people read into Obama's Siri Fort speech where the US president referred to the importance of religious tolerance and diversity in both India and the US Some critics had read it as a smack-down for India, or at least the Sangh parivaar's vision of the country.
The Indian Prime Minister, who is visiting neighboring Canada, responded immediately to US President Obama's warm words:

Dear @BarackObama your words are touching & inspiring. Thanks @TIME. http://t.co/igmK5moGxn

¡ª Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 16, 2015

You can read the full profile here.

The Time 100 list has several other leaders with brief encomiums written by equally famous celebrities, although none in the Modi-Obama range.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, China's leader Xi JinPing, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are the other world leaders who make the Time 100 cut, besides Obama himself, whose jacket notes were written by Joe Klein. Hillary Clinton writes about Elizabeth Warren, a putative challenger for the Democratic nomination that the party liberal wing is rooting for. Hillary Clinton herself and her potential Presidential race rival Jeb Bush also make the cut.
Others of Indian origin in the Time100 list include ICICI's Chanda Kochar, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and psychiatrist and mental health champion Vikram Patel.