Stay united, defeat those trying to divide us: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday warned against appeasement politics and whitewashing history, saying those who opposed the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple were still active today, even as he asserted that India was witnessing an era of unprecedented certainty and political stability in an uncertain world.

The PM spoke at two separate events in his home state of Gujarat – first addressing the Somnath Swabhiman Parv at Prabhas Patan in Gujarat, where he said repeated attacks on the Somnath temple over centuries could not be explained as acts of economic plunder alone, arguing that if loot had been the sole motive, the assaults would have stopped after the first invasion a thousand years ago.

He then spoke at the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) for the Saurashtra and Kutch region in Rajkot city, saying the world’s fastest-growing large economy was fast marching towards becoming the third-largest economy soon.

“Those forces which had opposed the reconstruction of the Somnath temple are still present in our country and they are very much active. Instead of swords, conspiracies are being hatched against India through other means,” Modi said in Prabhas Patan.

“That is why we need to remain alert and united. We have to make ourselves more powerful to defeat such forces which are conspiring to divide us,” he added.

He was addressing a gathering of saints, priests, elected representatives and devotees during the four-day Somnath Swabhiman Parv, held from January 8 to 11. The programme marked 1,000 years since Mahmud of Ghazni’s invasion of the Somnath temple in 1026 AD and 75 years since its post-independence reconstruction was completed in 1951.

Modi placed the temple’s history at the centre of a broader argument on faith, memory and national identity. “If the attacks on Somnath were only for economic loot, they would have stopped after the first major plunder a thousand years ago. But that did not happen,” he said. “The temple was attacked again and again, its idols were broken, its form was altered repeatedly, and yet we were taught that it was only about loot. The true history of hatred, atrocity and terror was concealed from us,” he added.

He criticised what he called attempts by some historians and political figures after independence to “whitewash” invasions and present them as routine acts of plunder. According to Modi, this approach weakened collective memory and disconnected later generations from the sacrifices made to protect centres of faith.

He described Somnath as a symbol of endurance. “Even after a thousand years, the flag still flies atop the Somnath temple. It reminds the world of India’s strength and spirit,” Modi said, pointing to the temple’s dharma-dhwaja overlooking the Arabian Sea.

He said India’s civilisational message was not about hatred or destruction. “The message of our civilization has never been to defeat anyone, but to keep life in balance. In our country, the path of faith does not lead us to hatred. The power here does not give us the ego to destroy. Pilgrimages like Somnath have taught us that the path of creation is long, but it is permanent, eternal…Civilisations that try to erase others are themselves lost in time. India has shown the world how to win hearts,” he said.

He recalled Mahmud of Ghazni’s raid in 1026 AD, which he said was followed by rebuilding within a few years. He cited restoration under King Kumarapala in the 12th century, resistance against Alauddin Khilji’s forces at the end of the 13th century, and renewed efforts by rulers of Junagadh in the early 14th century. Modi also referred to later attacks by Muzaffar Khan, Sultan Ahmed Shah and Sultan Mahmud Begada, who attempted to convert the temple into a mosque.

He said desecration continued into the 17th and 18th centuries under Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, after which Ahilyabai Holkar established a new temple. “The history of Somnath is not one of destruction and defeat, but of victory and reconstruction,” Modi said. “Invaders kept coming, but Somnath was re-established in every era.”

Modi recalled Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s pledge to restore the temple faced resistance, including objections to President Rajendra Prasad attending the inauguration in 1951. He credited Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji of Nawanagar, then ruler of Saurashtra, with supporting the project, contributing funds and serving as the first chairman of the Somnath Temple Trust.

Linking heritage with present-day governance, Modi said India was moving forward by drawing inspiration from its past. He pointed to initiatives in the Somnath region, including the establishment of Somnath Sanskrit University, expansion of Keshod airport to improve access for pilgrims, the launch of the Ahmedabad–Veraval Vande Bharat train, and development of a pilgrimage circuit.

“Today’s India remembers its faith while empowering it for the future through infrastructure, connectivity and technology,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the PM participated in the Shaurya Yatra organised as part of the Somnath Swabhiman Parv. Thousands of people lined the route from Shankh Circle to Hamirsinh Circle in Somnath, raising chants of “Har Har Mahadev” and “Jai Somnath” as Modi passed through.

Later in Rajkot, Modi appealed to investors to take advantage of various opportunities in India.

“Amidst great global uncertainty, we are witnessing an era of unprecedented certainty in India. Today, India has political stability and continuity in policies,” Modi said.

“In recent years, India has made very rapid progress, and Gujarat has played a very significant role in this. India is rapidly moving towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy, and the figures that are emerging clearly show that the world’s expectations from India are constantly increasing,” said Modi.

He said the expanding new middle class and their growing purchasing power were among the major factors that made India a country of immense possibilities. “Today, India is the world’s fastest-growing large economy. The country that manufactures the most vaccines in the world is India. India’s growth revolves around the mantra of ‘Reform, Perform, and Transform,” said the prime minister.

Modi said every global expert and global institution is bullish on India today.

He stated that India has become the world’s largest consumer of mobile data, and UPI has become the world’s number one real-time digital transaction platform. India is also among the top three countries in terms of solar power generation, while its metro networks are among the top three networks in the world, he said.

“That is why I keep saying that this is the time, and it’s also the right time for every investor in the country and the world to take advantage of these opportunities,” said Modi.