It was a curious PA who walked in on Modi making a phone call, “Who you calling?”
“The bookshop!”
“You ordering a book?”
“It’s the only hope I have to make some people become friends with me.!”
“So what’s the book you’re ordering?”
“How to Win Friends and Influence People! You heard about it?”
“Yes,” said his PA, “but I don’t know whether you’ll be able to follow it!”
“It’s in English isn’t it?”
“Yes!”
“Then what’s the problem dammit?”
“It’s a tough book!”
“And I’m a tough man remember?”
“It says in the book you got to get genuinely interested in other people!”
“Ye gads! That’s exactly what the people need; to be interested in me!”
“Do you know what it says also sir, it says you got to be a good listener!”
“It says that?”
“Yeah it does!”
“This is the right book to solve the country’s problems!” said Modi gleefully.
“And..”
“Yeah, my PA tell me more, what else does the good book say?”
“To do everything in terms of the other person’s interest!”
“Whoopee! This is great! Tell me more, tell me more!”
It was a puzzled PA who stared at Modi.
“A very important rule you must follow to make someone like you,” said the PA, “is to make the other person feel important!”
“Great” exclaimed the CM, “this book is the best book ever written! Are there more rules like this?”
“The only way to make life easier for everyone is to avoid argument and skirt controversy!”
“The book says that?”
“Yes, it does and also…and sir this is a difficult one, ‘if you’re wrong, admit it!”
“Wow!” shouted Modi, “wow! This book’s gonna save my life!”
“Sir!” whispered the PA as he came up to Modi, “are you really going to read and follow what the book says?”
“You crazy?” asked Modi, “I’m sending the book over to Kejriwal, fer him to read! Imagine what a friendly man he’ll be, once he reads it!”