For thousands of families displaced from Somnath region in erstwhile Sourashtra, it was celebration time in Madurai on Monday. The occasion was the swearing-in of Narendra Modi, a fellow Sourashtrian, as the 15th Prime Minister of the country.
Members of Sourashtra families, especially those in the Mahal area, remained glued to their television sets to witness the historic swearing-in ceremony. Fifty-eight-year-old V.G. Ramdas said his mobile phone never stopped ringing ever since live coverage of the ceremony began.
“As Narendra Modi took the oath, the hotel room, where a party had been organised to celebrate the occasion, erupted with applause,” said Mr. Ramdas, who is president of Saurashtra Munnetra Kazhagam. “Friends and family members called and greeted one another. There is no doubt that the government led by Mr. Modi will take every one in the path of growth and prosperity,” he added.
The Sourashtra community, which had settled in Madurai during the reign of King Thirumalai Nayak, greeted the elevation of Mr. Modi with a series of celebrations across the city and hoped that his reign would usher in a new era in India’s development.
“It is a moment of glory for our community since a person hailing from erstwhile Sourashtra region has become the Prime Minister,” said B.K. Sivanandan, a retired Central government employee.
To share their joy, people distributed sweets and offered special prayers at temples across the district. Posters, hailing the victory of Mr. Modi and his elevation were pasted in areas predominantly inhabited by Sourasthra community. “I’ve never been to a temple before. But I felt the need to perform special puja today, since it is time to pray for good governance in the country,” said A.K. Ramesh, secretary, Federation of Tie and Dye Hand-Printed Textile Cluster.
In 2009, Mr. Modi was invited to Madurai to address a gathering of Sourashtrians at K.L.N. College of Engineering. Welcome posters along the route from the airport to the college hailed Mr. Modi as “our Chief Minister (of Gujarat).” He inaugurated the Research Institute of Sourashtra Heritage and Immigration (RISHI), a project in association with Sourashtra University, Rajkot, on the occasion.
