Meloni ‘deeply honoured’ as PM Modi pens preface to her autobiography
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Rome: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written the preface for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s autobiography ‘I Am Giorgia’, calling her “an extraordinary political leader who combines ideas and heart” and describing the book as her “Mann Ki Baat” — ideas from the heart.
In his preface to the Indian edition of the book, ‘I Am Giorgia – My Roots, My Principles’, Modi underlines the close ties between India and Italy, rooted in what he terms “shared civilising instincts — the defence of heritage, the strength of community, and the celebration of femininity as a guiding force.”
Responding to Modi’s gesture, Meloni said she was “deeply touched and honoured.” “The words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for whom I have profound respect, in his preface to the Indian edition of the book I Am Giorgia, deeply touch and honour me. These are sentiments that I sincerely reciprocate, with all my heart, and which testify to the strong bond between our nations,” Meloni was quoted as saying by Italian news agency Adnkronos.
According to Adnkronos, Modi’s preface stands out for its personal and symbolic tone, linking his message to a personal friendship with Meloni and their shared ability to blend tradition with modernity. “I am confident that it will be received as an inspiring tale of an extraordinary contemporary political leader and patriot. It was a great honour to write this preface,” Modi wrote.
Italian media highlighted that Modi has penned only two other prefaces before this — in 2014, for a book dedicated to Anandiben Patel, who succeeded him as Chief Minister of Gujarat, and in 2017, for the autobiography of Bollywood legend-turned-politician Hema Malini. The preface to Meloni’s book is thus seen as a significant political and personal gesture.
The rapport between the two leaders has drawn global attention since December 1, 2023, when Meloni posted a selfie with Modi at COP28 in Dubai. The hashtag #Melodi has since gone viral on X, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, generating hundreds of millions of views whenever the two leaders meet.
A notable passage in the book’s preface, Adnkronos reported, is Modi’s closing remark defining Meloni’s autobiography not merely as an autobiography but as her “Mann Ki Baat” — an expression drawn from the title of the monthly radio programme he has personally used to address Indians since 2014, which has become his political and communications hallmark.
With IANS inputs