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Rewrite history to recognise national heroes: Kalyan Singh
Calling for the need to rewrite history, Rajasthan governor Kalyan Singh said historians ignored the contribution of national heroes, such as Maharani Avanti Bai Lodha, and described Akbar the Great downplaying the valour of Maharana Pratap.
Calling for a need to rewrite history, Rajasthan governor Kalyan Singh said historians ignored the contribution of national heroes, such as Maharani Avanti Bai Lodha, and described Akbar the Great downplaying the valour of Maharana Pratap.
“Historians did injustice to our heroes like Avanti Bai Lodha who was ignored, so a committee of impartial historians should rewrite history for acknowledging the contribution of such national heroes,” Singh said on Wednesday.
Avanti Bai was a freedom fighter, who waged a war against the British to protect her kingdom, Ramgarh, which now lies in Madhya Pradesh. Singh was speaking during a ceremony held to unveil a statue of Avanti Bai at Manoharthana town in Jhalawar.
“If Akbar was great, then what was inspirational Pratap?” the governor asked. “Similarly, historians depicted Shivaji as ‘mouse’. How can Aurangzeb be more inspirational than Shivaji?”
The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education approved a change in the history section of the Class X social science books to teach students that Maharana Pratap of Mewar conclusively defeated Mughal emperor Akbar in the 16th-century Battle of Haldighati.
Singh called the 1857 sepoy mutiny a freedom struggle. He called upon the youngsters to stay away from intoxication and focus on education.
Speaking at the function, chief minister Vasundhara Raje said, “There is need to learn lessons from a courageous woman like Avanti Bai who gave her life for the country.”
She said following the footsteps of Avanti Bai would help eradicate social evils. “Freedom fighters have taken the country ahead, so we should also contribute towards making the country prosperous.”
Raje listed development works carried out by her government in Manoharthana town and announced in the recent state budget. “A bridge over Parwan river between Harnawada Shahji in Baran and Iklera in Jhalawar will be constructed in Jhalawar district at a cost of Rs 80 crore,” said.
“Government college, roads, grameen gaurav path, drinking water project and works under Mukhyamantri Jal Swawlamban Yojana have been done in Manoharthana town.”
Trying to strike a chord with the people, she said, “I have remained associated with Jhalawar and Manoharthana over the last 3 decades and this region has taken me to this place where I am today.”
