PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Monday drew parallels to the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests, asserting that no power in the world can make India bow or succumb under pressure. Addressing a gathering here at Somnath Amrut Mahotsav, marking 75 years of the inauguration of the restored temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, he also said that “forces” in the country continue to prioritise appeasement politics over national self-respect. A similar mindset was witnessed during opposition to the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the PM noted. “While India attained Independence in 1947, the Pran Pratishtha (consecration ceremony) of Somnath in 1951 served as a proclamation of India’s liberated consciousness,” he said. Modi stressed that the ‘Amrut Mahotsav’ of Somnath is not merely a commemoration of the past, but it is also a festival of inspiration for India for the next thousand years. May 11 is a significant date as it not only marks the consecration of the Somnath temple, but also India’s nuclear tests in 1998 under the leadership of then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, he said.

 

“On May 11, 1998, the nation conducted its nuclear tests. Our scientists demonstrated India’s capabilities and potential to the entire world,” Modi pointed out. The tests “sent shockwaves across the globe” and triggered angry reactions from several countries, he said. Who is India to conduct nuclear tests? The world reacted with anger,” Modi said, referring to the international response following the Pokhran tests. He said global powers then tried to isolate India through sanctions and economic pressure after the tests. “Global powers mobilised to suppress India. Various sanctions were imposed, and every passage to avert a potential economic crisis was blocked,” the PM said. Many countries would have succumbed under such circumstances, but India stood firm, he highlighted. “Anyone else would have faltered. When the world’s major powers launch such a massive offensive, it becomes difficult to find a path ahead. But, we are built differently,” Modi asserted.

 

India went ahead with two more nuclear tests on May 13, 1998, despite mounting pressure from the international community, he noted. “On May 11, our scientists had completed their task. However, on May 13, two more nuclear tests were conducted. This demonstrated to the world just how unwavering the political will of India truly is,” Modi said. He praised the then Vajpayee-led Government for refusing to bow to global pressure.