Image Courtesy: flickr.com
In yet another BJP government’s move to re-visit historical episodes, chief minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant has said that “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj protected Hindu culture in Goa despite 450 year of Portuguese rule in the State” and further announced that state would approach the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) to get back all Goa-related documents from Portugal to help put the history in right perspective.
Reports in the Goan media show the chief minister making this announcement as a function to commemorate the Coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the Betul Fort organised by the Directorate of Archives and Archaeology. He indicated that the Minister for Archives and Archaeology Subhash Faldesai to go to Portugal to bring back all documents relating to Goa’s history.
After paying homage to the Maratha king, Sawant said that the Portuguese ruled only in four talukas, while Shivaji’s reign prevailed in the remaining eight talukas. “There have been attempts made to distort and erase history, but the fact remains that Shivaji raj prevailed in the eight talukas of Goa. It is because of Shivaji Maharaj that Hindu culture was at all protected in Goa despite 450 years of Portuguese rule”, he asserted.
The Goan government is committed to protect and preserve the Betul Fort which was built on the orders of Shivaji, chief ninister Sawant added, stating that the state government will take the Customs department into confidence to develop the area around the fort for the purpose of Tourism. Apart from this a Shivaji Chair has been established at the Goa University, the Chief Minister said that students will get a glimpse of public administration during Shivaji rule, which had provision for public administration, law department etc.“Shivaji had a vision for Swayampurna wherever he established his rule, be it in agriculture or allied activities”, he added.
In his response, Faldesai said Shivaji had a vision when he ordered to build the Betul Fort, which was strategic in nature, given that the Portuguese was ruling adjoining areas. “Let us commemorate all programs of Shivaji at the Betul Fort. The government should get the land and also erect a statue of the Maratha King at the Fort”, he added.Faldesai congratulated Sawant for his bold decision to rebuild the Temples destroyed b by the Portuguese regime. “Many might have even termed the chief minister’s decision to rebuild the damaged temples as divisive, but he has remained firm. The decision will not only benefit the Temples, but religious structures of other religions which were damaged by the Portuguese. We want back Goa of the past”, he added.
It was in December 2021, that the chief minister had stated that in the 60th year of Goa’s liberation, he wanted to initiate a programme for the re-construction of temples destroyed by the Portugese. He had allocated Rs 20 crores towards this programme.
Clearly the newly elected BJP government is committed to dredging up the wounds of the past.
Not long ago, in late May 2022, Sawanthad announced that the Goa government would re-print two books by Savarkar! At that function, the CM had said Savarkar was a “Swatantryaveer” and an “unsung hero, who fought the British regime, faced the most brutal punishment and yet after India’s Independence, a section of people have only spread lies, falsehood and hatred against him… We as Indians have largely failed to acknowledge the life and work of this glorious patriot.” Sawant was speaking at the closing ceremony of the Kumaon Literary Festival (KLF) in Panaji, and praised the book ‘1957 cheSwatantrya Samar’, saying it was this that “ignited the flame of patriotism among many youth and the British regime banned this book”. According to the CM, “One copy of this book was saved with a Goan person, and this helped in getting it re-printed.” The CM had also released author VikramSampath’s book ‘Savarkar (Part 2): A Contested Legacy, 1924-1966.’
Related:
Goa gov’t will reprint books by Savarkar, Karnataka will teach Hedgewar’s speech
Sonia points out ‘misogynistic’ passage in CBSE paper in Lok Sabha; board drops question
Why does UGC want herds of students to take ‘cow science’ exams?