First memorial for victory over Europeans
Express News Service
The Indian Express
May 17, 1999
Title: First memorial for victory over Europeans
Author: Express News Service
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: May 17, 1999
For centuries Indians have lived in the belief that the white skin is
supreme and cannot be beaten. But just over 200 years ago, a small
band of Maratha warriors and a Muslim gardi proved that it is possible
to take on the European might and emerge victors.
The Treaty of Wadgaon on January 16, 1779 and the preceding decisive
battle on January 14, have a unique place in the annals of the
resistance that Indians put up to the establishment of the British
rule in India.
Wadgaon stands out as an uncommon example of Indians getting the
better of a first class European power in keenly fought actions and
subsequently in concluding a favourable treaty.
The Express-Nagarik Wadgaon Vijaystambh Pratisthan, a public trust
created by citizens and The Indian Express, Pune, has launched a
memorial to commemorate the victory of the Indian forces led by
Mahadji Shinde over that of the East India Company at Wadgaon-Maval on
Mumbai-Pune highway on January 14, 1779. Although there are memorials
in India commemorating the British victory over Indians, this will be
the first victory memorial over the Europeans.
Addressing a press conference here today, renowned industrialist and
pratishtan trustee, Arun Firodia, expressed the hope that the memorial
would remove the defeatist attitude developed by Indians over the
years and inspire the future generations to draw the right lessons
from this glorious chapter of our history.
"This battle is particularly significant for the excellent war
strategy used by Mahadji Shinde to overcome the European might.
Indians have used cannons and cavalry for their battles much earlier
than the Europeans," he said.
He decried the defeatist attitude developed by Indians despite their
progress in a number of areas. "Tatas may have indigenously developed
the Indica car, but there are critics who hold onto a single defect
raising a big hue and cry over this issue," he explained,
"Indians are second to none" is the theme of the Wadgaon project.
The monument will have two main components: a tableau of five
life-size bronze statues and a deep-maal as a mark of respect and
homage of the living- to those who made victory at Wadgaon possible.
The tableau will have statues showing of the East India Company's
envoy Farmer bowing to Mahadji and Nana Phadnawis in total surrender
on the Maratha terms with a Maratha soldier and a Muslim gardi in
attendance.
Trustee Dr S B Majumdar said that the presence of the memorial on the
national highway would revive the pride of the Marathi people and also
spread the message of teamwork among the people.
The memorial is to come up on a plot of land alongside the Pune-Mumbai
highway at Wadgaon Mawal made available to the Pratisthan by Shrimant
Sardar Mahadji Shinde Pratisthan, formed by a group of young
enthusiasts of Wadgaon.
The entire memorial has been estimated at Rs 30 lakh. Majumdar who
termed this as a people's memorial said that a campaign will soon be
launched to collect funds for this purpose.
The proposed memorial at Wadgaon is intended not only to commemorate
the victory, but also to arouse the curiosity of the visitor, and to
in-spire him to draw the right lessons from, this glorious chapter of
our history.
The memorial will focus attention, to the extent possible, on the
facets of the Wadgaon victory of Indians, like sagacity, statecraft,
and undivided counsel, harmonious use of all instruments of the state,
appropriate and effective use of military power, sound strategy, and a
well thought out design of battle, leadership on the battlefield,
hardihood, valour, and soldiering skills on the part of those who
fought and laid down their lives and contribution by and involvement
of all sections of the population in offering stiff resistance to an
alien power.
Arun Firodia performed the bhoomi pooja for this project on January 16
this year. Majumdar hoped that the memorial would be ready to
dedicated to the nation on January 16, 2001. Express Nagrik Wadgaon
Vijaystambh Pratisthan has Maj Gen V V Bhide (retd) as president;
industrialist Mr Arun Firodia. Dr S B Majumdar, Lt Gen Y D
Sahasrabuddhe (Retd), Lt Gen Ashok Joshi (Retd), historian S M Garge,
military historian Dr Anil Athale (Col retd), Mr Shashikant Mehendale
and Mr Sanjay Pawar as trustees; Mr Prakash Kardaley as the managing
trustee and Mr Chandmal Parmar as join managing trustee.
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