Operation Sindoor was `finest example' of commitment to defend `Swaraj': Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said India's armed forces and the leadership are committed to defend `Swaraj' or sovereignty of the country, and it was demonstrated very well during Operation Sindoor in May.

Speaking after the unveiling of an equestrian statue of Maratha statesman and general Peshwa Bajirao I at the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, the BJP leader also said whenever he is plagued by negative thoughts, he thinks of legendary warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Bajirao.

The tri-service institute NDA was the most appropriate place for Bajirao's memorial as it is an institution where military leadership is trained, Shah said.

''Whenever negative thoughts come to my mind, I usually think about `Bal' (young) Shivaji and Peshwa Bajirao, thinking that they were able to establish a `Swaraj' (self-rule or sovereign state) amid adverse conditions,'' he said.

The responsibility to defend the Swaraj now lies with 140 crore Indians, Shah added.

''When it was time to put up a fight to establish a Swaraj, we did it. When fighting will be required to defend the Swaraj, our forces and leadership will definitely demonstrate it, and Operation Sindoor (India's military response to Pahalgam terror attack) was its finest example,'' he said.

Paying tributes to Bajirao I (1700 to 1740), Shah said if the battle for independence started by Shivaji Maharaj and taken forward by the Peshwas for 100 years not been fought, ''India's basic structure would have ceased to exist." "In his life of 40 years, Peshwa Bajirao scripted immortal history which no other person could write," he added.

Bajirao, who became `Peshwa' or prime minister of the Maratha state at the age of 19, is credited with the expansion of the Maratha rule in central and northern India.

After the event, Shah also interacted with NDA cadets.

Shah noted Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the mantra of ''Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi (growth with heritage)'' under which it is crucial to make our thousands years old culture, its history and the inspiring figures, accessible to our youth and warriors.

The Union minister pointed out that the land of Pune is the birthplace of the ethos of 'Swaraj'.

In the 17th century, the voice of 'Swaraj' emerged from Pune, and when the time came for the people to fight for 'Swaraj', against the British, it was Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak Maharaj who was the first to demand for it, affirmed the former BJP president.

Hindutva icon and freedom fighter Veer Savarkar from the land of Maharashtra set an example demonstrating how much one person can do for their country in their lifetime, he stated.

While many statues of Peshwa Bajirao have been installed across the country, the most fitting place for a memorial for him is the NDA, maintained Shah.

He noted that the future leaders of India's three armed forces are trained in the academy. ''If our future soldiers draw inspiration from Bajirao Peshwa and learn from his life, no one would dare to challenge India's borders for ages to come,'' Shah asserted.

The Union minister said some of the principles of the art of warfare of Peshwa Bajirao are timeless and eternal.

''The strategy, speed, dedication, patriotism, and the spirit of sacrifice of Bajirao are what lead armies to victory in war. Bajirao Peshwa fought 41 battles in a span of 20 years and emerged victorious in all of them and Academy (NDA) is the most fitting place for the statue of a brave warrior like Bajirao Peshwa, who never allowed defeat to come near him throughout his life,'' he averred.

He added that with his skills, strategy, and the help of brave companions, Bajirao Peshwa turned many lost battles into victories. Bajirao Peshwa destroyed the symbols of slavery wherever they existed and lit the lamp of freedom.

Shah noted that throughout his 20-year tenure, no one ever saw Bajirao Peshwa dismount from his horse. The legendary Maratha statesman undertook the construction of Shaniwarwada (a historical fortification in Pune), implemented water management systems, and fought against social evils.

Some people refer to Bajirao Peshwa as a divinely gifted commander, an invincible warrior, and the greatest disciple of Shivaji Maharaj, Shah noted.

He emphasized that Bajirao fought all his battles not for himself but for the nation and 'Swaraj'. Bajirao Peshwa fought every battle for his motherland, religion, and Swaraj, creating an immortal history that no one will be able to replicate for centuries to come.

In his short lifespan, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj not only established Hindavi Swaraj, but also instilled the values of Swaraj in the hearts of the youth, said Shah.

Shah said if the Peshwas had not continued the fight for independence started by Shivaji Maharaj for 100 years, then the original essence of India would not have been the same as today.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was also present on the occasion, said that British and after them to some extent the natives did injustice to heroes from Indian history.

''The chapter on Hindvi Swaraj and the Maratha empire was even deleted from our history. It was made to believe that after the Mughals, it was the British who came to rule us. Due to this distortion, many of our real heroes were forgotten. ''But under the leadership of Modiji, attempts are being made to ensure that the real history of our heroes, warriors and freedom fighters reach to the next generations,'' the CM said.

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