Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb is a protected monument, but there cannot be any attempts to glorify him: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Fadnavis took on the continuing fuss over who would be buried at the 17th-century ruler’s burial site in Khultabad town of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
“Aurangzeb, you may have liked or not, his tomb is Protected Monument. He will glorify no one, and we will not allow anyone to glorify him,” Fadnavis said. Also, he added that any structures that ‘transcend the bounds of the law’ should be taken down.
The remarks follow demands for the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb from right-wing groups. After such protests by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), during which the rumors circulated that a ‘chadar’ with holy inscriptions was burnt in Nagpur earlier this month, the debate shot through the roof.
In another issue, Fadnavis rejected a criticism by Sonia Gandhi, amounting to senior Congress leader, on the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020. In an article, Gandhi attacked the central government for making education communal through the policy.
To these claims, Fadnavis defended NEP 2020, claiming the aim should be the ‘Indianization’ of education and undoing the colonial-era system set by the British. An education system was introduced to the Indians by the British so that they would be subordinates. The attitude towards indianizing education should have no opposition. Any patriot would support it. He said that Sonia Gandhi should get proper information and support this initiative.
Fadnavis’ comments are a clear expression of the government under the BJP’s lead stand on historical and educational matters as it seeks to promote nationalism and cultural identity. Causing fire to still smolder in Maharashtra and elsewhere, the debates over Aurangzeb’s legacy and education policy refuse to subside.
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