Cast in the same mould as the Kashi Tamil Sangamam, the 10-day Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam will see nearly 3,000 people from Tamil Nadu, mostly Gujaratis settled in the southern State, participate. Inaugurated in the presence of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Somnath, sacred for the Hindus, the festival aims to showcase “age-old ties” and cultural links between the two coastal States of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
People of Gujarati origin are being brought on a special train, and will visit places their ancestors came from, and reconnect with pilgrimage destinations such as Somnath, Dwarka, and Porbandar. They will also explore the Gir Forest and the Statue of Unity in south Gujarat, built in 2018, to pay homage to Vallabhbhai Patel.
Many people have settled in Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, Salem and other places in Tamil Nadu. This has been one of the biggest connections between the two States.
Cultural security
Mr. Singh said at the inauguration, “This programme, highlighting the bond between Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, reflects the cultural diversity and strength of India. Protecting our cultural links and heritage is as important as border security, economic security, food security, social security, and cybersecurity. Border security is necessary to protect a nation. Similarly, cultural security is also important to maintain its identity. We have witnessed a cultural revival of India.”
The Twitter handle @STSangamam, a verified account set up by the government for the event, said, “Heartwarming scenes from Somnath. Saurashtra community who had to leave their homeland because of an attack by an invader, their descendants return to visit Somnath today. You can understand their emotional state from their faces, this #STSangamam is special in too many ways.”
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, at the inaugural event, reminded people of the year 2006, when Saurashtra University had invited Tamils, during the chief ministership of Narendra Modi, now Prime Minister of India. Mr. Modi is likely to attend the concluding event.
