Udaipur, 24 May 2012

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today expressed grave concern at the country’s present rulers’ ignoring the nation’s glorious history and heritage full of valour of great men at its own peril.

Speaking as the chief guest at Maharana Pratap’s 472nd birth anniversary function at Udaipur, he said that those who ignore their history cannot make history.

He said that Maharana Pratap lives in our heart even after so many years because he had showed us the way to protect the motherland. Even though he belonged to the princely family he didn’t ever take any rest and rather devoted every moment of his life in the service of the motherland. He offered floral tributes at Maharan’s statue at Moti Magri.

However, Mr. Modi regretted there might be still some so-called secular elements which would not cringe to malign Rana Pratap had he been alive today because he was the saviour of cow progeny, womanhood, temples and culture. As if there is only one family in the country today which has seen sacrifice and idolized.

He described it as India’s misfortune that people tend to forget its glorious past and revolutionaries like Shaymaji Krishna Verma, Veer Bhagat Singh and Rajguru and Veer Savarkar.

Talking about long historical and cultural relation between Gujarat and Rajasthan, he recalled that the mother of Mewad’s founder was the queen of Valabhi-Gujarat. Maharana Pratap’s obedient horse ‘Chetak’ belonged to Kathiawar breed of Gujarat. They were the Bhils of Guajart living in the Vijaynagar forests of Sabarkantha in the ravines of Aravalli who had lent support to the Maharana during his exile. Gujarat is trying to repay by providing the Narmada waters to the remote areas of Rajasthan.

While the Gujarat Government has enacted effective laws to save the cow progeny, Mr. Modi said, the Central Government’s offered subsidy on beef under its ‘pink revolution’.