Amit Shah unveils the equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj constructed by Maharashtra Samaj Gandhinagar in Gandhinagar, Gujarat

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah today unveiled the equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj constructed by Maharashtra Samaj Gandhinagar in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. On this occasion, Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Harsh Sanghavi, along with several other dignitaries, was present.

Addressing the gathering, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah said that it is a matter of great pride and joy for the entire Gandhinagar that the grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of ‘Hindavi Swaraj’, has been unveiled here. He said that the nearly 21-foot-tall statue will continue to inspire the residents of Gandhinagar, especially the youth, for many years to come.

Shri Amit Shah said that the life and great achievements of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will never become irrelevant. For many generations, the nation will remain indebted to his unparalleled contributions. He said that when a deep darkness of slavery had engulfed the country—from Afghanistan to Kanyakumari and from Somnath to Odisha—and the entire nation was bound in chains, it seemed as though the power of the Mughal rule would never diminish and India would never attain freedom. During that period, the dominance of the Mughal Empire was widespread, and people had almost forgotten the very idea of self-rule. The values of one’s own faith, language, and self-respect had nearly disappeared due to the prolonged suffering and oppression of foreign rule. At that time, at just sixteen years of age, Shivaji Maharaj took a firm pledge at the Raireshwar Temple in Raigad to establish ‘Hindavi Swaraj’ and showed a new direction to the entire nation.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that at that time there were no resources—no army, no weapons, and no large state or empire. The father of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj himself was in the service of Bijapur. Yet, in his adolescence, Shivaji Maharaj took a solemn pledge before Raireshwar Mahadev that he would struggle throughout his life and work for Swaraj, Swadharma, and Swabhasha. Shri Shah said that within just forty years, Shivaji Maharaj broke the chains of two and a half centuries of slavery and was coronated as Chhatrapati, thereby realizing the dream of ‘Hindavi Swaraj.’

Shri Amit Shah said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj never abandoned the path of struggle throughout his life. Aurangzeb deployed the entire Mughal Empire in an attempt to break his resolve, but Shivaji Maharaj never retreated. When the temples of Kashi and Mathura were demolished in an effort to weaken the freedom struggle, Shivaji Maharaj protected the temples in the south and re-consecrated and restored the Saptakoteshwar Temple. He said, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who protected the country’s pilgrimage sites and temples, conveyed a message to the Mughals that Sanatan Dharma would not come to an end by demolishing temples. He said that Shri Narendra Modi has undertaken the restoration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and the Somnath Temple, which had been damaged by invaders. He said that this shows that the resolve of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has today been embraced by the entire nation.

Union Home Minister said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj established a navy for the first time and declared, “Jyache Armar, Tyacha Samudra” — meaning, “He who has the navy, controls the sea.” He said that the Modi government has honored the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj by removing colonial symbols from the flag of the Indian Navy.Shri Shah said that at the time of Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation, the scholar Gaga Bhatt had remarked that in the years to come, India would stand before the world in full glory. He added that those words now appear to be coming true.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, Subramania Bharati, Sri Aurobindo, Atul Chandra Hazarika, Shri Vachinath and many other poets and literary figures composed works in praise of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Zaverchand Meghani composed “Shivaji Nu Halaradu” to instill the values of bravery in children. Even today, a mother who wishes her son to serve the nation narrates the heroic tales of Shivaji to him.

Shri Amit Shah said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj also worked for the upliftment of Indian languages. After coming to power, he promoted Marathi and Sanskrit in administration. He nurtured a generation that lived for Swaraj, Swabhasha, and Swadharma. Within a hundred years of Shivaji Maharaj’s demise, his saffron flag was seen flying from Attock to Cuttack and from Cuttack to Pune. Today, that very India, guided by the values of Shivaji Maharaj, stands before the world in a radiant and resplendent form.