April 17, 2023: India has ushered into the era of cultural renaissance under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. This was stated by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh during his address at Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam in Somnath, Gujarat on April 17, 2023. He stated that the Government is taking a number of steps to connect the people with the nation’s centuries-old traditions and cultures. He added that India’s deep-rooted traditions depict strength & unity, providing ability & capability to withstand any challenge.The Raksha Mantri stressed the need to ensure ‘cultural security’, describing it as equally essential as security of the borders and other aspects such as food, energy, environment, cyber and space. He asserted that the Government is laying emphasis on cultural security and special attention is being paid towards maintaining cultural unity. He termed the event – a confluence of Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu – as a celebration of India’s cultural unity and a shining example of ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’.On the cultural connect between Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu, Shri Rajnath Singh stated that the ties date back more than a thousand years. “Saurashtra was attacked several times by foreign invaders around the eleventh century. It was that period when a large number of people from Saurashtra migrated to South India. During that time the people of Tamil Nadu welcomed them and helped in starting a new life,” he said. He gave numerous examples of the centuries-old connect between Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu, describing it as one of the shining chapters of a unified India.
