Without assuring the tribal people directly by making an announcement of a national monument at Mangarh Dham, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, asked the four state governments of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to work together on preparing a ‘roadmap’ so that this memorial site of Govind Guru finds a place on the world map.
“I am sure that the development of Mangarh Dham will make this area a place of inspiration for the new generation. Its name could be anything, it can be christened as National Monument or ‘Sankalit Vyastha’ (a collective wisdom)”, the PM told a mammoth rally after offering homage to the sacrifices of unsung tribal heroes and martyrs of freedom struggle in Banswara district which is also touches the states of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
Throwing light on the discussion about the total development of Mangarh Dham, he expressed a strong desire for the grand expansion of Mangarh Dham. “Mangarh is a shared heritage of the people of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat,” he said.
Recalling flagging of a train from Udaipur to Ahmedabad, the PM said it would connect many tribal areas of Gujarat with the tribal areas of Rajasthan, and will give a push to the industrial development and employment in these regions. Praising the presence of Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot during the programme, Modi said, “As CM we worked together. Ashok Gehlot was the senior most in our tribe. Gehlot is still the senior most CM among those who are still sitting on the stage”.
After arriving at the venue, the PM performed Dhuni Darshan and paid floral tributes to the statue of Govind Guru where Guru’s memorial had been built earlier.
He said it was always inspiring to be in the holy land of Mangarh which is a symbol of tapasya, sacrifice, bravery and sacrifice of our tribal bravehearts.
The PM said that the development not only resulted in an improvement of the life quality of the local people but also led to the propagation of the teachings of Govind Guru. “Great freedom fighters like Govind Guru were the representative of India’s tradition and ideals”, he said, adding, “Govind Guru lost his family but never lost his heart and made every tribal person his family.”
Remembering the massacre of 17th November 1913 in Mangarh, Modi remarked, “It was an example of extreme cruelty by British rule in India. On one hand we had the innocent tribals who were seeking independence while on the other hand, it was the British colonial rulers who, after surrounding the hills of Mangarh, massacred more than one thousand five hundred innocent men, women, elderly and children in broad daylight.”
PM also highlighted his national programme on “Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojna” saying the tribal population is being provided water and electricity connections, education and health services, and employment opportunities”.
Modi emphasised that “India’s past, history, present and India’s future will never be complete without the tribal community. Every page of the story of our freedom struggle is filled with tribal valour”.
Speaking on the occasion Gehlot reiterated that Mangarh Dham be given a status of National Monument as it was not less than the place of Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Gehlot demanded that the Centre should consider completing the rail link between Ratlam and Dungarpur for which the state had provided land and assured to share 50 percent expenditure. In an indirect importance to the Indian democracy before 2014 when Modi came to power, Gehlot said PM Narendra Modi ji gets respect in the world because of Mahatma Gandhi and deep rooted democracy. “People and leaders in foreign nations always think a man (Modi) has come from a country where Gandhji philosophy is there and so are the democratic values, hence India has moved very forward”, Gehlot said.
Among others who addressed the gathering included MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister Arjun Meghwal, and Mahesh Sharma.
Mangarh Hill holds special importance for the Bhil community and other tribes of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. During the freedom struggle where Bhils and other tribes engaged in a long stand-off with the British, more than 1.5 lakh Bhils rallied at Mangarh Hill on 17th November 1913 under the leadership of Shri Govind Guru. Britishers opened fire at this gathering, leading to Mangarh Massacre where approximately 1500 tribals were martyred.