Heaping praise on Shrimant Bajirao Peshwa for his warring skills and strategies, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that no military commander across the world could match Peshwa’s record – of waging 41 battles in 20 years and not losing even one.
“With his skills, strategy, and the help of brave soldiers, Bajirao Peshwa turned many lost battles into victories. In all, he fought 41 battles in 20 years and did not lose a single one, a record no other commander could match. The most fitting place to install the statue of such a brave warrior, who never let defeat come near him until his death,” Shah said at a function after unveiling an equestrian statue of Peshwa at the National Defence Academy (NDA) near Pune .
“Throughout his 20-year stint as the Peshwa, no one ever saw Bajirao Peshwa dismount from his horse. He was as a divinely gifted commander, an invincible warrior, and the greatest disciple of Shivaji, Peshwa fought all his battles not for himself but the for his motherland, religion, and Swaraj, creating an immortal history that no one will be able to replicate for centuries to come,” Shah said.
The 13.5-foot-tall, 4,000-kg bronze statue — installed on the NDA premises at Khadakwasla near Pune — donated by the Shrimant Thorale Bajirao Peshwe Pratishthan.
“Statues of Peshwa Bajirao can be found in various places across the country. Even in my village there is one statue. All the same, I believe the best place for a Peshwa Bajirao is the NDA in Pune. As the training ground for the future leaders of all three services of the Indian armed forces, placing a statue of Peshwa Bajirao ji would serve as a powerful source of inspiration,” Shah said.
“It is from the NDA where the chiefs of all three armed forces train and graduate, the statue will ensure that no one can touch India’s borders,” Shah said.
Bajirao Peshwa (18 August 1700 – 28 April 1740) was the seventh Prime Minister of the Maratha Empire, who is credited with establishing the Marathas as the supreme power in the Indian subcontinent displacing the Mughal dominance.
He carried forward the vision of legendary Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), the legendary warrior-king, who laid the foundation of Hindavi-Swaraj or self-rule of Indian people
“Some rules of the art of war never become outdated…the strategy adopted in the war, the importance of swiftness, the spirit of dedication, the spirit of patriotism, and the spirit of sacrifice... these are what lead armies to victory, only the weapons keep changing... and the most exemplary embodiment of all these qualities in 500 years of Indian history is found only in Shrimant Bajirao Peshwa,” Shah said.
“If the Peshwas had not continued the fight for independence started by Shivaji Maharaj for 100 years, then the original essence of India would not have been the same as today. Whenever despair begins to creep into life, the thoughts of young Shivaji Maharaj and Shrimant Bajirao Peshwa come to mind, driving despair far away. The responsibility of building the India envisioned by Shivaji Maharaj lies with 140 crore Indians,” the Union Home Minister said.
“Whenever the need arises to preserve Swaraj, our armed forces and leadership will undoubtedly fulfil their duty. Operation Sindoor was a shining example of this. Alongside ‘Swaraj’, creating a great India was also Chhatrapati’s vision—a nation that, by the centenary of independence, stands foremost in every field. There is no better figure in our history than Shrimant Bajirao Peshwa to inspire the effort, dedication, and sacrifice needed to achieve this life goal,” Shah said.
Prominent among those present at the function were: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, state Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol and Rajya Sabha MP Dr Medha Kulkarni, Air Marshal Bhushan Gokhale (Retd), who is the President of Thorle Bajirao Peshwe Prathistan, Pushkar Singh Peshwa, a descendent of the Peshwa family and Vice Admiral Gurcharan Singh, the Commandant of the NDA
During his visit to Pune, the Union Home Minister also inaugurated the “Jairaj Sports and Convention Centre” built by Shri Poona Gujarati Bandhu Samaj in Pune, Maharashtra.
Shah said that Shri Poona Gujarati Bandhu Samaj has been working unitedly with the community in Pune since 1913.
“Wherever a Gujarats go to any state, they do not merely persevere but become an integral part of that society, contributing to its progress. Wherever Gujaratis have gone in the world, they have elevated the name of Gujarat and have never been embroiled in any kind of disputes. The 113-year remarkable journey of this community has culminated in the creation of this unique building”.
Shah said that the newly constructed Jairaj Sports and Convention Centre has a library with 5,000 books. He requested all members of the Poona Gujarati Bandhu Samaj to contribute by purchasing two books each for the library. Library plays a vital role in instilling the habit of reading and learning among children,” Shah added.