Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij on Saturday unveiled the 12.5 ft tall statue of Maharana Pratap installed at a cost of Rs 50 lakh in Ambala Cantonment.
While addressing the gathering on this occasion, Anil Vij said “Today, we have not just installed a statue of Maharana Pratap at Sadar Bazaar, but an eternal torch has been lit that will continuously remind every passerby of patriotism and self-respect. Maharana Pratap belongs to the entire nation – to every religion, every caste and not to any one community alone. He was a warrior who awakened the nation, sacrificed everything for the protection of the country and gave a message of courage and patriotism to the youth.”
He said Maharana Pratap was the man who rejected the luxuries of palaces and chose to wander through forests, but never bowed before any foreign invader.
“He has been a source of inspiration and the objective behind installing his statue is to ensure that the young generation keeps drawing motivation and inspiration from him. The statue installed at this intersection is not merely a structure, but a living inspiration for those who fight against injustice,” the cabinet minister said.
Minister Anil Vij had provided Rs 50 lakh from his discretionary fund for the installation of Maharana Pratap’s statue. The 12.5 feet tall statue, weighs around 16 quintals and is made of panch dhatu. During the event, he also honored sculptor Mahavir Bharti, from Jaipur.
Anil Vij said “History books taught us that Akbar was great, but those writings were influenced by a mentality soaked in slavery. It was not Akbar but Maharana Pratap who was truly great. The newly installed statue in Ambala also bears the inscription ‘Maharana Pratap the Great’. Even after independence, governments continued with a colonial mindset and kept glorifying Akbar. But from now onward, Maharana Pratap would be remembered as ‘the Great’.”
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target to make India self-reliant and inspiration for this can be drawn from Maharana Pratap. When we speak about self-reliance, Maharana Pratap stands as our greatest inspiration. He was a warrior who dedicated everything for the protection and awakening of the country,” he said.
The cabinet minister also said Ambala Cantonment is unique in the country because it remembers and honours its heroes.
“We have earlier installed statues of Subhas Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh and soon the statues of Sukhdev, Rajguru and Dr BR Ambedkar will also be installed. A Shaheed Smarak is being built to commemorate the sacrifice of unsung heroes of the first revolt. I urge everyone to take a pledge to follow the footsteps of the great martyrs and carry forward their ideals,” he added.
