Stay at diesel workshop kindled childhood memories: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said that his stay at the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) premises here had brought back memories of his childhood when he was closely associated with trains.

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 a.m. 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.