PM opens gallery of freedom fighters, says Maharashtra source of inspiration in many fields

Mumbai: Maharashtra has inspired the country in many areas ranging from social revolutions to self-rule, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday as he inaugurated an underground 'Gallery of Revolutionaries' museum dedicated to the luminaries of the freedom struggle, at the Raj Bhavan here.

The PM delved into history and highlighted the work done by a number of eminent personalities with roots in Maharashtra, from warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to chief Constitution maker Babasaheb Ambedkar, and spoke effusively about their contributions. The gallery has come up in a British-era bunker, discovered in the Raj Bhavan campus in south Mumbai in August 2016 during the tenure of the then-Governor C Vidyasagar Rao. The bunker had been used by Britishers as a secret storage for arms and ammunition.

Speaking at the event, Modi said the bunker, which was not known to anyone for years and used to store goods that were once utilized against Indian revolutionaries, now has a gallery with their names. The gallery showcases information on freedom struggle heroes, their role in the independence movement, sculptures, rare photographs, murals and details on tribal revolutionaries drawn by schoolkids. "The bunker which used to store goods that were once used against Indian revolutionaries, the same bunker has our revolutionaries' names," the PM said.

"Maharashtra has inspired the country in many fields. If we talk about social revolutions, there is a very rich legacy of social reformers, from Jagatguru Sant Tukaram Maharaj to Babasaheb Ambedkar," Modi said. He said saints from Maharashtra like Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Samarth Ramdas and Chokhamela have given energy to the country. "If we talk about Swarajya (self-rule), then the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj still strengthens the feeling of patriotism in every Indian," Modi said.

Remembering Indian revolutionary Shyamji Krishna Varma, who founded the India House in London and stayed abroad, Modi said the freedom fighter's only wish was that his ashes be brought to an independent India. Modi said in 2003, after 74 years of Varma's death, he got the opportunity to bring his ashes to India. The PM said when there is a talk about India's independence movement, knowingly or unknowingly the discussion is limited to a few incidents. "India's independence has involved the austerity of countless people and their hard work. The collective impact of many incidents at the local level was felt at the national level.

The means (deployed by freedom fighters to achieve independence) were different but the resolution was the same," he said. The prime minister also inaugurated Jal Bhushan, the renovated residence of the Maharashtra Governor. Jal Bhushan has been the official residence of the Governor of Maharashtra since 1885. Upon completing its lifespan, it was demolished and a new building was sanctioned in its place. The foundation stone for the new building was laid by President Ram Nath Kovind in August 2019. All distinctive features of the old structure have been preserved in the newly constructed building. Modi said the new building has been built keeping in mind its heritage.