Forces that opposed reconstruction of Somnath Temple still active, need to defeat them: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the forces that had opposed the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple in Gujarat after India gained independence are still active, and the country needs to remain alert, united and powerful to defeat them.

The history of Somnath is not that of destruction and defeat but of victory and renewal, but it is the cycle of time that fundamentalist invaders are now reduced to pages of history, but the Somnath Temple still stands tall, the PM said.

Prime Minister Modi was speaking at the Somnath Swabhiman Parv held to mark 1,000 years since the first invasion of the Somnath Temple by Mahmud of Ghazni in the year 1026.

Despite multiple repeated attempts for its destruction over centuries, the Somnath Temple still stands today as a powerful symbol of resilience, faith, and national pride, owing to the collective resolve and efforts to restore it to its ancient glory, the PM added.

“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 said.

After independence, when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel took the oath of rebuilding the Somnath Temple, his path was obstructed, 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 prime minister 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,” Modi said.

This struggle of 1,000 years has no parallel in world history, he said.