PM Modi strengthened cultural ties between Kashi, Tamil Nadu: Amit Shah
The Union home minister said even after independence, “a time came when efforts were made to poison the cultural unity of the country”.
Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday said efforts were made to malign the rich culture and heritage of India during a long period of slavery and even after independence some forces tried to breach the peace, but now the “time has come to create Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat”.
Shah was addressing the closing ceremony of the month-long Kashi-Tamil Sangamam in Varanasi.
“This is going to be the culmination of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Kashi-Tamil Sangamam in a way, but I want to say that this is not the culmination, but it is the beginning,” he said. “It’s the beginning of a new era, inclusive of cultural blend.”
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“It’s purely the initiative of our PM Narendra Modi who made it possible and strengthened the cultural ties between the two ancient cities,” Shah said. “There is a need to make similar efforts in the entire nation.”
Shah said even after independence, “a time came when efforts were made to poison the cultural unity of the country”.
“After a long period of slavery that somewhat tarnished our cultural unity, the diversity of our heritage and the unity of the Indian soul that lies within our different cultures, a renaissance was needed to overcome this. The effort should have been made immediately after independence, but this did not happen,” he said.
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“It’s a matter of pride and celebration that when India is celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (75 years of independence), an effort has been made to revive the rich culture and tradition of the two ancient cities,” Shah added.
An initiative of the Union education ministry, Indian Institute of Technology (Madras) and Banaras Hindu University (BHU), the month-long Kashi-Tamil Sangamam was inaugurated by PM Modi on November 19. The event saw participation of over 2,500 delegates from Tamil Nadu. More than 200,000 people, including 1,500 artists, 300 VVIPs and 75 religious leaders, also participated in the mega event.
Addressing the closing ceremony, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said Kashi-Tamil Sangamam fulfils the Prime Minister’s vision of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
“Uttar Pradesh represents the spiritual cultural heritage of India, while Tamil Nadu also leads the ancient traditions of art, culture, knowledge,” he said. “In the last month, 12 different groups from Tamil Nadu came here and also visited Prayagraj and Ayodhya to witness the religious significance of Uttar Pradesh.”
