Raj Thackeray Cautions Govt After UNESCO Lists 12 Forts Of Shivaji Maharaj As World Heritage Sites; CM And Deputy CM React

Mumbai: The whole of Maharashtra and India rejoiced on Friday as 12 majestic forts associated with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (11 in Maharashtra and one in Tamil Nadu) were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. While PM Modi and other senior leaders welcomed the announcement, MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday urged the government to act responsibly and ensure strict conservation measures.

Last evening, UNESCO announced that it has accorded the status of World Heritage Sites to 12 forts built by Maharashtra's beloved and greatest King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, naming it 'Maratha Military Landscapes Of India'. Of these 12 forts, 11 are in Maharashtra - Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Panhala, Shivneri, Lohagad, Salher, Sindhudurg, Vijaydurg, Suvarnadurg, Khanderi. One fort, the fort of Jinji, is in Tamil Nadu.

"This is a matter of great joy. Those who talk about Maharashtra's achievements will know how far the idea of Swarajya instilled by Maharaj had reached and will also know how old and strong the bridge between two languages and cultures is," Thackeray expressed.

While hailing the global recognition, Thackeray called for preservation and protection of the heritage structures.

"Now one can hope that these 11 forts in Maharashtra will get preserved properly. Once UNESCO gives the status of World Heritage Site, there are very strict criteria for the conservation and renovation of those structures, which will have to be followed, and the forts of our Maharaj will get the attention they deserve," he said.

"Now the state government will receive funds for the conservation of these forts and the state should also allocate some more themselves. Every single government in the past had left these forts in a state of disrepair, making it impossible to invite the world to visit them and show them the glory of our Maharaj and Maharashtra. I hope that this will change now. I have been saying this for many years that if we preserve the forts built by Maharaj and preserve the coastline Maharashtra has been blessed with, and if we make the necessary infrastructure available for tourism, the state's economy will truly soar," he added.

Thackeray further warned that failing to maintain standards could result in UNESCO withdrawing the status. "I just want to remind the government that just because UNESCO has given it World Heritage status, it cannot be taken for granted. If the criteria are not followed properly, the status gets withdrawn. So far there have been two such examples in the world. One example is the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Oman and the other one is the Dresden Valley in Germany. The Dresden Valley got the World Heritage status, but it was taken away in 2009 due to non-compliance with the criteria."

"The government should not just celebrate this but also acknowledge the responsibility. Firstly, the government should demolish all the unauthorised constructions on these forts immediately! Regardless of the religion or cast of the encroachers," the MNS chief added.

Following the recognition, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis lauded the historic milestone and congratulated the people of India for this achievement.

"Shivaji Maharaj built these forts for Swarajya. These were developed between 17th and 19th centuries, and represent an extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by our King," said Fadnavis.

"This extraordinary network of forts, varying in hierarchies, scales and typological features, is a result of integrating the landscape, terrain and physiographic characteristics distinctive to the Sahyadri mountain ranges, the Konkan Coast, Deccan Plateau and the Eastern Ghats in the Indian Peninsula," he added.

"Many people contributed to reaching this milestone. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The support he gave and the active participation of the Central Government were of great value. The Archaeological Survey of India and the Ministry of Culture helped a lot in this. I personally contacted various ambassadors. My colleagues, Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar also supported me from time to time. Minister Ashish Shelar personally went and met the Director General of UNESCO. He made a technical presentation there. ACS Vikas Kharge from my office, as well as India's Ambassador to UNESCO Vishal Sharma and Hemant Dalvi from the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums were present," Fadnavis stated.

I congratulate everyone from Maharashtra and ShivBhakts across the globe on this extremely joyous and historic moment, he said.

Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde said, "These forts, which are witness to our Swarajya, are living symbols of the glorious history of Maharashtra. Their inclusion in the World Heritage List is a matter of great pride for Maharashtra. Heartfelt gratitude to PM Narendra Modi, CM Devendra Fadnavis, Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar, the then Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, Additional Chief Secretary Vikas Kharge and the ASI."

Shinde also mentioned that he himself had consistently pursued the nomination of these forts while he was the Chief Minister. On Raj Thackeray's comments, he clarified that the state government is committed to preserving, conserving and maintaining all these forts as a place of inspiration for future generations.

Expressing his sentiments, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said, "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj organised the Mavlas of the Sahyadri valley and created a state of the people and a farmers' self-government in the soil of Maharashtra. These forts strongly supported Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who fought with the determination to establish a state of the people. With the inclusion of these historical forts, which have witnessed the history of the valour of the Maharaja and his Mavlas, in the UNESCO World Heritage List, the work of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, his thoughts, and the valour of the Marathi Mavlas will reach the world. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will be understood by the world."

"Let us all once again be determined to protect and conserve all the forts in the state, including these twelve forts, which carry the glory of historical heritage, and to convey their importance and the history that happened there to the new generation," Pawar appealed.

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