New Delhi, Apr 26, 2023, IANS

New Delhi, April 26 (IANS): Prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the Tamil Saurashtra Sangamam is a confluence of patriotic resolution of Sardar Patel and Subramania Bharati.

Virtually addressing the closing ceremony of the 10-day confluence, Modi said that "India is a country that sees its diversity as a speciality".

The event, which commenced on April 17, saw more than 3,000 Saurashtrian Tamils come to Somnath on a special train.

"India has the power to innovate even in the toughest of circumstances, the shared history of Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu assures us of this," he said.

The Prime Minister remembered the attack on Somnath and the resultant exodus to Tamil Nadu and recalled that those moving from one part of the country to another never worried about the new language, people and environment.

He reiterated that a large number of people migrated from Saurashtra to Tamil Nadu to protect their faith and identity and the people of Tamil Nadu welcomed them with open arms, and extended all facilities for a new life.

"Pride in our heritage will increase when we get to know it, try to get to know ourselves by getting free from the mentality of slavery. This cultural fusion of Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu, of the West and the South is a flow that has been in motion for thousands of years," he added.

The event is also being seen as a political outreach towards Tamil Nadu with Lok Sabha elections just a year away, where the BJP does not have a presence.