Somnath (Gujarat), May 11
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday invoked the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests while asserting that “no power on earth” can force India to bow under international pressure.
Addressing the Somnath Amrut Mahotsav marking 75 years of the inauguration of the restored Somnath Temple, Modi said the occasion symbolised both India’s cultural resurgence and its political resolve.
The Prime Minister said May 11 held special significance in India’s history, marking both the consecration of the Somnath temple in 1951 and the Pokhran nuclear tests carried out in 1998 under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
“On May 11, 1998, our scientists demonstrated India’s capabilities to the world,” Modi said, adding that the nuclear tests triggered global criticism and sanctions aimed at isolating India economically.
He said the international pressure mounted after the tests was intense, but India remained firm under the leadership of the Vajpayee government.
“Many nations would have faltered under such circumstances, but India stood strong,” he said, noting that the country went ahead with two additional nuclear tests on 13 May 1998 despite growing global pressure.
Referring to the Pokhran tests, Modi said they reflected India’s political determination and commitment to placing national interest above external pressure. During his address, the Prime Minister also accused unnamed political “forces” in the country of prioritising appeasement politics over national self-respect. He linked the issue to opposition faced during the reconstruction of the Somnath temple after Independence and the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Modi said India’s heritage and development must move together, adding that neglect of cultural centres had hindered the country’s progress in the past.
He also referred to efforts by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Rajendra Prasad to rebuild the Somnath temple after Independence, while claiming they had faced opposition from India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister performed rituals and offered prayers at the Somnath temple. He also released a commemorative stamp to mark the 75th anniversary of the temple’s inauguration.
Thousands of people lined the route during a roadshow held before the event, while artists from several states performed traditional dances along the procession route in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district.
