Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called for preparing a road map to develop Mangarh Dham in Rajasthan’s Banswara district as a tribal destination with a prominent identity at the global level. Mangarh Dham, situated near the Rajasthan-Gujarat boundary, is known for the massacre of tribespeople by the British Indian Army in 1913.

Addressing a public meeting at Mangardh Dham to mark the anniversary of the incident and commemorate tribal leader and social reformer Govind Guru, Mr. Modi said the memorial raised at the place was a symbol of bravery and sacrifice of tribal people.

He said such an impactful event of the freedom struggle had not found its place in the history books because of “unfortunate circumstances”.

Nearly 1,500 Bhil tribals and forest dwellers were killed in a hill in Mangarh on November 17, 1913, when the British Indian Army opened fire on the protesters who were demanding abolition of bonded labour system and relaxation in heavy agricultural taxes imposed by the rulers of princely states. The tribes in the southern Rajasthan region were led by Govind Guru.

Shared heritage

Mr. Modi said since Mangarh Dham was a shared heritage of the people of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, the governments of the four States could work together and prepare a road map to bring the memorial site on the world map. “The development of Mangarh Dham will make this area a place of inspiration for the new generation,” he said.

The Prime Minister refrained from declaring Mangarh Dham as a monument of national importance, the demand for which was raised by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Mr. Modi, who shared the dais with Mr. Gehlot as well as Chief Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan of Madhya Pradesh and Bhupendra Patel of Gujarat, said if the memorial was taken to a new height, it could be called a national monument or any other name could be given to it.

The elected representatives of the tribal-dominated areas in Banswara and Dungarpur districts have been demanding since long that Mangarh Dham be declared a monument of national importance.

The development of Mangarh Dham will make this area a place of inspiration for the new generation

Narendra Modi

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