‘Principles of Shivaji Maharaj eternal, should be followed’

Nagpur: People need to perceive the eternal inspiration given by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj through his principles, way of life and actions. His principles should be emulated in today’s world, said thinker Sumant Tekade on Wednesday.
He was delivering a lecture on ‘Shabdanchya Palikadle Shivrai’, organized to commemorate Shivaji jayanti according to ‘tithi’ at Scientific Society Hall, Laxmi Nagar. The event, titled ‘Shivjayanti Utsav’, was organized by Chhatrapati Seva Pratishthan. Officiating pro vice-chancellor of Nagpur University Vinayak Deshpande presided. Organization secretary Sanjay Deshkar was present.
Tekade said “Shivaji Maharaj instilled in his army the spirit of fighting back. With the motto of destroying the opponent’s capacity to fight, Shivaji proved to be a leading figure in guerrilla warfare. Indians were able to endure agonizing torture inflicted upon them by the Portuguese.”
Highlighting his mother Jijabai’s way of parenting, Tekade said, “It was a tradition to mould children from a young age. Jijabai fostered in Shivaji the qualities of a warrior from a tender age. We have forgotten to practice this custom in the present world.”
He spoke about the time Shivaji devoted to inculcate knowledge, skills and attitude. “Youngsters complain of dearth of job opportunities in Nagpur. They should give enough time from their busy schedule to develop personality. Even if one starts at a lower level in a specific line of work, the goal must be to reach the top with hard work and passion,” he added.
“Novels and cinemas are not a testimonial to history. They are just forms of entertainment and fun as the media allows freedom of expression and fictionalization of certain events. History can be called an account written by contemporary people during a particular time. Context and references are relevant information pertaining to a specific subject,” he said.
One should read pertinent books to connect with historical facts, he said.
He also spoke about how swarajya should be a medium to uplift the last man.
At the outset, Atul Guru, an expert on Shivaji’s forts, and activist Datta Shirke were felicitated by Deshpande for their efforts to propagate ideals of the Chhatrapati.