November 22, 2014 – The Metrognome

Maharashtra Government wants all permissions taken in four months, CM wishes for ‘a statue like no other’ in Arabian Sea.

by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The much-disputed proposal to erect a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in the Arabian Sea is seemingly back on the table.

At a recent meeting convened with concerned ministers and department heads, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is said to have asked that the memorial plans be ‘fast-tracked’. “The CM has asked that the memorial be of an international standard, and that all concerned departments must consistently follow up with the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and others. He has also said that the bhoomi pujan for the memorial will be done by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” an official present at the meeting said.

“The CM has also urged the appointment of an experienced team to mould the actual statue, and to seek inputs from companies that have done this kind of work anywhere in the world,” the official added. It is learnt that the CM has given a deadline of up to four months for all permissions and approvals to be taken, and the bhoomi pujan to be completed.

The conceptual design for the proposed memorial has been prepared by students of the JJ School of Architecture, and these have been shown to the CM. The proposed memorial is to be erected on a rockbed in the Arabian Sea, and will be located 1.5 km from the Raj Bhavan, 3.5 km from Marine Drive and 12 km from the Gateway of India. The site will comprise the Shivaji statue, a large museum, auditorium, library, exhibition hall, and amphitheatre. As per the initial designs, the proposed statue will depict Shivaji astride a horse and brandishing a sword.

What do you think of the move to erect a Shivaji statue in the Arabian Sea? Tell us in the comments section below.

(Picture courtesy newsreporter1.blogspot.com. Image is artist’s impression of the proposed memorial site)

Are we looking at new realities in Kashmir?

An already battered Kashmir Valley is about to set the stage for a political battleground in the days to come.

by Humra Quraishi

How many more will be shot dead in the Kashmir Valley before the powers that be decide to take some firm action? Within two days of the Macchil verdict, where five Army men were sentenced for killing civilians in a fake encounter, comes the news of yet more killings – a teenager in Kulgam and a carpenter in Handwara.

Last fortnight’s killing of two young men by the Army in Chattergam is still haunting the locals. How brute and barbaric one must have to be to open fire on a car full of defenceless youths. I often wonder: would these same Army men kill commuters and car drivers in Mumbai or New Delhi if they didn’t halt or brake when signalled to? How is the administration still allowing these murders done in the name of ‘security’ and upkeep of law and order?

Is this some new form of governance, where you demand subservience by force? After all, it is easy to implement. Plus, you can show your ‘concern’ later by announcing monetary compensations for the victims’ families.

I wonder what lies ahead for Kashmir. In the coming days, the political rulers of the day will descend on the Valley in droves. Naturally, any normalcy in the region will be shattered by endless traffic regulations, more curfews and lockouts, and lengthy speeches that promise a lot but say nothing at all.

The Kashmir Valley was never in the grip of a communally-tainted Government, and there hasn’t been a Hindu-Muslim divide as much as anyone would want us to believe. But with Fascist forces spreading all over the country, it is just a matter of time before such a divide is actively created and deepened.

And all this, while the region still limps back from the brink of hell after being ravaged by floods.

What will happen to Kashmir in the coming days, I wonder…

Humra Quraishi is a senior political journalist based in Gurgaon. She is the author of Kashmir: The Untold Story and co-author of Simply Khushwant.

(Picture courtesykashmirvoice.org. Image used for representational purpose only)