Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in the 'Shaurya Yatra' on the 'Somnath Swabhiman Parv' in Gujarat on Sunday, which attracted crowds of thousands. The Swabhiman Parv is being observed to mark a thousand years since Mahmud of Ghazni invaded and desecrated the Somnath temple in 1026.
What did PM Modi say?
Speaking at the event, PM Modi highlighted that India needs to remain alert, united, and resist the forces that opposed the reconstruction of the Somnath temple after independence, which are still active today.
PTI quoted the Prime Minister saying that the Somnath temple still stands strong, while the invaders have been confined to the pages of history. He noted that the legacy of Somnath is not of destruction, but of renewal and victory.
He added that the Somnath temple stands as an emblem of 'resilience, faith, and national pride,' in the face of multiple attempts to destroy the religious structure for centuries. He noted the collective efforts to restore the temple to its former glory, PTI reported.
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'Somnath's tale is the story of India'
The Prime Minister said that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel faced obstructions when he sought to rebuild the temple after independence. On this, he said, "Those involved in appeasement knelt before such people with extremist mindset, those forces are still present between us who tried to obstruct the rebuilding of the Somnath temple. We need to remain alert, united, and powerful to defeat such forces."
"The true history of hatred, atrocity, and terror was concealed from us, and we were taught that the attack was an attempt to loot the temple," PM Modi added, PTI reported.
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Highlighting the link between the history of Somnath and that of India, PM Modi said, "Somnath's tale is the story of India; foreign invaders tried to destroy India many times, like this temple. The invaders thought that they had won by destroying the temple, but after 1,000 years, the flag of Somnath is still flying high." He further said that the millennium-long struggle has no parallel in the world.
