Gandhinagar: The Government of Gujarat has taken in-principle decision to create a museum at the Statue of Unity campus site to show case proud recollection of history of making of united India by merging 562 native states by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Related documents signed in presence of Sardar Patel, the photograms, precious items, artefacts, glimpses of forts and palaces, weapons and gifts of royals etc will be showcased in different sections of proposed museum which shall also have latest 3D mapping projection, holography, augmented reality, audio-video and controlled light system etc attractions.

Various royal families will be contacted and rich heritage of their former states will also be showcased in proposed museum.

In-principle decision was also taken to allocate suitable land at Statue of Unity site for creation of such museum.

The decisions were taken in the meeting chaired by the State Chief Minister.

It’s worth noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had while dedicating the Statue of Unity made suggestion to build such museum. In 2018 he had suggested building a “virtual museum” near the Statue of Unity in Gujarat in the memory of the erstwhile royals, who had “sacrificed” their princely states for the unity of India under Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

He had said, “A virtual museum should be constructed near the statue to honour the sacrifice of the former rulers of over 550 princely states that were annexed to India.”

“We should not forget the sacrifice made by the then rulers of these princely states, who agreed to merge their states with India by honouring a call given by Sardar Patel for the unification of the country.I dream that a virtual museum of the then rulers of over 550 princely states be set up near this statue. They had taken an initiative for the country’s unity. This (museum) will help the next generation understand (their sacrifice). These rulers gave all their assets to the nation. We should also remember them,” Modi had said.

“Today, if you ask a democratically elected president of a tehsil to step down a year before the end of his tenure, there will be a huge (political) storm. On the other hand, these rulers gave away their ancestral assets that had been accumulated over centuries to the nation,” Modi had said.

DeshGujarat