| The 75th independence day celebrations are held across the country. PM Modi will be speaking from the ‘Prachir; of Red fort giving the vision for the nation in days to come. Schools are one place where one can witness the joy and excitement of the day. Many government and private industries too hoist the national flag and distribute sweets. WE also wish our readers a happy independence day. This has been happening year after year. We thought that the spirit of independence day has to synchronize by rekindling our heroes. Our true fight for independence came when our heroes started fighting against the foreign invaders be it Mughals or the Britishers. There are so many of them and all so easily forgotten that we are ashamed of not recalling the name of many and write it. Nevertheless, we remember Maharana Pratap the brave, And Shivaji the great two of the legendary heroes that made sure that India remains intact culturally, religiously, and demographically. It is wrong to pinpoint these tales on the basis of religion or region yet by and large it can be said that contribution to independence came from The Rajputs and the Marathas besides the Punjabis. The Proposal: We propose and request the ministry of culture and tourism as well as the Indian council of cultural Research to identify and create the historic routes and promote them. For example, the Marathas fought with the Mughals in the north as well as the Nizams in the south. Besides Chhatrapati Shivaji, Sambhaji, there were other Peshwas too who fought brilliantly and continued with the call of Swarajya. Bajirao Peshwa fought various wars in Malwa (1723), Dhar (1724), Aurangabad (1724), Battle of Palkhed (1728), Firozabad (1737), Delhi (1737), Bhopal (1738), and Battle of Vasai (1739) which were some of the major battles won by Bajirao. Peshwa Nanasaheb too was heroic and expanded the Maratha empire after Shivaji. There are so many historic places these Maratha warriors fought but unfortunately, we have neither preserved them physically nor we have kept them in our memories. Not only Raigad or Singhgarh fort but there were also others like Vijaydurg fort, Miraj fort, Gingee fort, Khanderi, the fort of Vasai, etc are today forgotten or are dilapidated. Similarly, the Rajputs fought many wars and have forts that have to be brought to prestige. While the citizens know a few famous forts there are many other historic places and sites that have to be re-invented. The Kumbhalgarh fort which has a wall that is the second-largest in the world after the Great Wall of China is also not very well maintained with poor approach roads and facilities. Similarly, the Chatrasals of Bundelkhand also have a major contribution towards thwarting invaders. How many of us know the birthplace of Bhagat Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad, and many others we doubt the same. Conclusion: A true tribute to all these heroes and Shahids can be made on Independence day by remembering them all. WE request the appropriate ministry to conduct historic cultural tours of all these forgotten forts and sites for a month every year to popularise them. This will help not only in tourism promotion but also will help the new generation remember the true heroes of our independence right from the beginning. If we cannot remember and respect our Bravehearts we will not be doing justice to their bravery and sacrifices. Does anyone know the name of the wife of Sambhaji – Yesubai who was imprisoned by Aurangzeb along with her son for eight long years. There are many such queens and kings, Peshwas and Subedars, who need their due position and respect in our history books but also in our minds. WE request the Modi government to initiate a special project to reignite the spirit of all these freedom fighters which will be a true tribute to them and will mark the celebration of Independence Day. Without the urge of nationalist feelings and thoughts no matter how much we progress materialistically we will never be strong as a nation. Dr. Asheesh Shah Samanvaya.org.in |
