Thousands participated in ‘Gad-Durga Rakshaan Grand Rally’ in Azad Maidan. Mumbai

Thousands took to the streets in the ‘Gad-Durg Rakshaan Mahamorcha’ with a demand protection forts and castles of Maratha Kings and warriors.

Success: An independent corporation will be established for the protection and conservation of forts, says Hon. Mr. Mangalprabhat Lodha, Tourism Minister of Maharashtra. 

Upendra Bharti | HENB | Mumbai | March 3, 2023:: An independent ‘Gad-Durg Corporation’ (Fort conservation Corporation) will be established in the next three months to preserve, conserve, protect and to remove encroachments on all forts in Maharashtra used by  the Martaha kings and warriors. The State Minister for Tourism, Women and Child Development Shri. Mangalprabhat Lodha gave this assurance while addressing the ‘Gad-Durg Rakshan Mahamorcha’.  A ‘Gad-Durg Rakshakan Mahamorcha’ was organized in Mumbai on behalf of ‘Maharashtra Gad-Durg Rakshan Samiti’. At this time, Hon. Minister Lodha personally came to Azad Maidan and met the delegation of the committee. A huge gathering of the Hindus was seen in the Azad Maidan of Mumbai converged through a grand rally with the demands of protections of Forts and Castles used by Chhatrapati  Shivaji Maharaj and many others currently under various Jihadi encroachments.

Thousands of supporters of Shivaji Majharaj and activists of Gad-Durg protections from various organizations across the state participated in the ‘Gad-Durg Rakshakan Mahamorcha’ organized by the ‘Maharashtra Gad-Durg Rakshan Samiti’. Shouting slogans for the victory of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, wearing saffron cap on head, holding saffron flags and placards in hands, thousands of male and female enthusiastically participated in this grand rally.

In the march from Metro Cinema in Mumbai to Azad Maidan, Narveer Tanaji Malusare’s descendant Subhedar Shri. Kunal Malusare; descendant of Bajiprabhu Deshpande Shri. Sandesh Deshpande; descendant  of Dharamveer Sambhaji Maharaj’s foster mother Gade Patil and the desendent of Sarnobat Antojiraje Gade Patil, Shri Amit Gade; the  descendant of Veer Koyaji Bandal,  Shri. Akshay Bandal,  Moropant Pingle’s desendant  Shri. Vishwajit Deshpande; Descendant of Krishnaji Gaikwad, Shri.  Appasaheb Gaikwad; Descendant of Veer Shiva Kashid,  Shri. Anandrao Kashid;  Shri Pantajikaka Bokiel’s  descendants  Gaurav Bokiel and many descendants of Shivaji maharaj’s Mawali Sena participated in the programme.

Along with this, Samast Hindu Brotherhood Association’s Shri. Ravindra Padwal, Executive Chairman of ‘Swatantryaveer Savarkar National Memorial’ – Shri.  Ranjit Savarkar; Coordinator of ‘Maharashtra Gad-Durg Rakshan Samiti’  -Shri. Mangalprabhat Lodha  and Maharashtra State Organizer of ‘Hindu Janajagruti Samiti’ – Shri. Sunil Ghanwat, Director of ‘Sri Parashuram Tapovan Ashrama’ at Vasai- Bhargava Shri B.P. Sachinwala; National President of ‘Dharmasabha-Vidvatsangha’ of Srimajjagadguru Shankaracharya Pitha- Vedamurthy Dhananjayashastri Vaidya;  Saint Sadguru Anuradha Wadekar of Sanatan Sanstha were present in the procession. Along with this, all Hindu brotherhood organizations, Shiv Rajyabhishek Samiti, Maratha Warriors, Gad-Durg Sankhartha Association, Durgveer Pratishthan, Shri Shambhudurg Pratishthan, Shri Shivpratisthan Hindusthan, Shri Shivkarya Pratishthan, Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Mandai, Raigad Conservation Pratishthan, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, Ranragini (Women’s Branch of HJS), Yuva Maratha Federation, Shivvandaneshwar Pratishthan, Swatantra Savarna Sena, Hindu Dharma Jagran samiti, Sanatan Sanstha, Akhil Bharatiya Maratha Seva Federation, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh etc. joined in the programme to make it a grand success.

At this time Shri. Ravinra Padwal explained his points on why it is necessary to establish a corporation for the protection of forts and castles. Descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s maternal uncles also expressed their views to remove all Jihadi encroachments from the forts in Maharashtra . Explaining the role of ‘Maharashtra Gad-Durg Rakshan Samiti’ behind the march, Shri Sunil Ghanwat said that more than 100 unauthorized RCC constructions were revealed in Vishalgarh. Similarly, houses, graves, dargahs, mosques and other types of encroachments have been illegally encroached on 35 important forts of the state including Raigad, Lohgad, Kolaba, Vandangad, Durgadi Fort. These encroachments on the forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj are not only offensive to the believes of Shivaji  lovers, but also cause great annoyance. Officials of Archeology Department who are responsible for such encroachments should be identified and legal action should be taken against them.

 Drinking alcohol, tampering the art works or damaging the walls, nuisance to violate the sanitary situation etc. within the premises of many forts should be stopped and also the archaeology department should pay attention to stop the large-scale collapse of many forts, dilapidated towers and cannons. The government should appoint sufficient staff for the conservation of the forts, and for the regular cleaning and sanctity of the forts. It is also suggested that, the government should take the help of fort-loving organizations. The Department of Archaeology should launch a website that provides proper information and legal aspects of all the forts. There should be facility for the citizens to register their complaints about their reactions and suggestions for the protection of such forts and castles . In the meeting, various demands were made to include the public and organizational representatives working for the conservation of the forts along with the descendants of the Mawalis, the lovers of forts and Shivaji Maharaj. The upcoming Corporation for the conservation of Forts and castles must include such representations from all sorts of public inspired by the ideals of Shivaji Maharaj and Maratha legacy. The fight which started with the inspiration of Chhatrapati Shivaraya will continue till the forts are protected and conserved, Mr. Ghanwat said.

…

__Inputs from Agencies.

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