India no longer feels inferior: PM
Modi says country has produced a Shivaji for every Aurangzeb it had
Varanasi, Dec. 13: Lauding the resilience of India’s civilisational heritage here, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said tyrants like Aurangzeb tried to destroy Kashi but were consigned to the black pages of history while the ancient city is now writing a new chapter of its glory.
In a speech after inaugurating the Kashi Vishwanath Dham, which has renovated and expanded the temple’s premises, Modi said India is now stepping out of the “inferiority” complex brought on it by the centuries of slavery.
He asserted that the new Kashi corridor will give a decisive direction to the country and lead it to a bright future.
Arriving in the holy city, also his parliamentary constituency, Modi paid obeisance at the Kaal Bhairav Temple and then took a dip in the Ganga, from where he collected holy water for worship at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
In the evening, hours after the inauguration, he watched a spectacular Ganga aarti on the ghats, from a cruise boat that also carried Chief Ministers of BJP-run states. Fireworks lit the sky.
A new history is being created, the Prime Minister said in the speech that mentioned Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Muslim invader Salar Masud and British governor-general Warren Hastings.
Sultanates rose and fell but Benaras remained, he said.
“Tyrants attacked this city, tried to destroy it. History is witness to Aurangzeb’s atrocities, his terror. He tried to change civilisation with the sword. He tried to crush culture with fanaticism.
“‘But the soil of this country is different from the rest of the world. Here if an Aurangzeb comes, a Shivaji also rises,” Modi said. The PM raised the chant of ‘Har Har
Mahadev’, associated with Lord Shiva, several times.
“If a Salar Masud marches on, warriors like Raja Suheldev make him realise the power of our unity,” he said. People of Varanasi forced Hastings to escape on an elephant’s back, he added.
“See how the times change. Today, those synonymous with terror have been consigned to the black pages of history while my Kashi marches ahead and is writing a new chapter of its glory,” the prime minister said.
Whenever the city has taken a turn, the country’s fate has also changed, he added.
Many historians believe that Aurangzeb had ordered pulling down the temple to build a mosque. Modi also lauded Rani
Ahilyabai Holkar for rebuilding the temple and Sikh king Ranjit Singh for gold-plating its domes.
The Prime Minister said the new complex of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham is not just a grand building, but a symbol of the “Sanatan culture” of India, its spiritual soul antiquity and traditions.
Chandigarh, Dec. 13: Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher and former union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Monday congratulated Harnaaz Sandhu for becoming Miss Universe
2021.
“Congratulations to Harnaaz Sandhu on being crowned as
#MissUniverse2021. Once again a daughter of India makes the nation proud. Best wishes for all your future endeavours beta!,” said Amarinder in a tweet.
Sandhu made history on Monday as she was crowned Miss Universe
2021 — beating contestants from 79 countries —
21 years after India last brought home the title.
The 70th edition of the event was held in Eilat, Israel, where the 21-yearold model-actor was crowned the winner.
Kher in a tweet said, “Such a proud moment for India as the crown
comes home after years!”
Former union minister and Bathina MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal too congratulated ‘Punjab Di Beti’ for her achievement.
Congratulations to ‘Punjab Di Beti’ #HarnaazSandhu for being crowned as #MissUniverse2021. Your hard work & dedication are an inspiration for all the girls as well as the youth of our country. It’s a proud moment for not only Punjab but the entire nation, she said in a tweet.