New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Pongal celebrations in the national capital on Wednesday, hailing it as a global festival representing one of the oldest civilisations in the world.
Modi’s presence at the celebrations at the residence of Union Minister L Murugan here, with leading lights of Tamil society, including the cast of the recently released film Parasakthi, was seen as an outreach to the southern state where Assembly elections are due in the next few months.
Addressing the gathering, Modi said this festival celebrates the hard work of the farmers and expresses gratitude to the land and the Sun.
He said Pongal, which sends out the message of maintaining harmonious balance with nature, has emerged as a global festival, cherished by Tamilians world over.
“The festival of Pongal reminds us that gratitude should go beyond mere words and become an integral part of our daily lives. When the Earth provides us with so much, it is our responsibility to cherish and protect it,” Modi said at the celebrations that had Union Ministers, bureaucrats, and people from a cross-section of society in attendance.
Those who attended include Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy, and Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu.
The cast of Tamil film Parasakthi, including actors Sivakarthikeyan and Ravi Mohan, and music composer G V Prakash Kumar, joined Prime Minister Modi in celebrating the festival at the event.
Modi said that around the world, the Tamil community and those who cherish Tamil culture celebrate Pongal with great enthusiasm, and he was proud to be among them.
He said Tamil culture was one of the oldest living civilisations in the world and embodied centuries of wisdom and tradition that draw lessons from history to guide the way toward the future.