Previous govts neglected centres of faith, says PM Narendra Modi

Dehradun: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused previous governments of leaving centres of faith across the country in a state of neglect and claimed that these places are now being restored to their lost glory. Citing examples of the Kashi Vishwanath temple, Ujjain and Ayodhya, where major reconstruction works have been carried out in recent years, Modi attributed the "years of neglect" to a "slave mentality".

"Slave mentality grips the minds of some people so strongly that they react even to development as if it is a crime," he said. Such people never get tired of praising the centres of faith in other countries but they look down upon their own country's centres of faith, Modi said. "Pride in our own legacy and every possible effort for development are the foundations of a 21st century India," the prime minister said while addressing a gathering in Uttarakhand's Mana village on the India-China border after laying foundation stones of two ropeway projects to Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib.

Neglect of the centres of faith for decades by previous governments reflects a disregard for crores of people who believe in them and the country's culture which is thousands of years old, the prime minister said. "Our centres of faith are not just structures, they are symbols of our cultural legacy which is thousands of years old. They are our life breath," Modi said.

Reconstruction work carried out in Kedarnath in recent years is bringing unprecedented number of pilgrims to the Himalayan temple, he said. "Earlier a maximum of four to five lakh people visited Kedarnath in one season but I am told that this year 45 lakh people have visited the temple, breaking all past records," Modi said.