There is a world beyond memorials

The announcement by the state government of expediting the issue of Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial was along expected mainly due to the prevailing political atmosphere where such issues take precedence over other matters like guarantee of a safe and peaceful life for the citizenry mdash especially the womenfolk mdash for the ruling CongressNCP coalition The government has announced a committee to be headed by guardian minister for the island city Jayant Patil The phrasing of the announcement was carefully chosen by CM Prithviraj Chavan as he said an lsquoappropriatersquo memorial of the Maratha king will be set up and the committee will monitor and follow up the process The panel is expected to coordinate with central agencies for necessary clearances from Coastal Regulatory Development Authority and Union Environment Ministry The term lsquoappropriatersquo raises doubts over the previous plan that said a 309ft statue of Shivaji would be erected along with a cafeteria a garden and an openair theatre disporting a soundandlight show on the life and times of the warrior Apart from this a museum to exhibit the accoutrements and arms used by the founder of the Maratha Empire was also in the pipeline The cost of the project when it was announced on the eve of the general elections in 2004 was expected to be Rs 100 crore It rose to Rs 300 crore before the 2009 parliamentary elections and has now breached the Rs 350crore mark So exactly what happened to the plan during the last 8 years Just talk and talk and nothing else Yet political parties are keen on memorials of eminent personalities when we are facing issues that threaten the very core of public life ndash spectre of water scarcity debt burden of Rs 270 lakh crore on the state and deteriorating law and order situation Congress and NCP became eager especially after the decision on the 14acre Indu Mill land for a Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar memorial followed by Shiv Senarsquos demand for a suitable memorial of Bal Thackeray As our present leaders have managed to segregate past ones on caste and religious lines the issue of Shivaji memorial was certain to gain prominence In the meantime netas from Kolhapur secured approval for a memorial of Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj at Shahu Mills After winning hearts of followers of Dr Ambedkar the ruling combine hoped to appease the Maratha community with these two memorials But flipflops over the issue of the Shivaji shrine seem to have become the order of the day It was an election promise of CongressNCP in 2004 In July 2005 a highlevel committee studied all aspects of the proposed memorial The project was given a go ahead by the state in June 2008 and in November that year 11 international firms responded to a competitive bidding process Later the Ashok Chavanled government ahead of the 2009 general elections sought to take credit and unveiled a replica of the memorial at Mantralaya In the meantime Jayant Patil who was finance minister in 2007 had stated that the Navy had raised certain objections and imposed restrictions over the proposed site of the monument and the government was scouting for another location near Gateway of India And now the new committee headed by him will monitor and coordinate the assignment Necessary authorisations are still awaited Chavan had assured legislators during the budget session in March this year that all efforts would be made to get the necessary permissions within a year by suggesting amendments to Coastal Regulation Act Nine months have passed and nothing has materialised Will everything change in just three months Who knows Shiv Sena that has been using Shivajirsquos name to further its political interests is criticising the government over the delay But its late party supremo Bal Thackeray had termed the plan lsquostupidityrsquo ldquoThis is stupidity There is no need for this as there is another memorial of the king near Gateway of Indiardquo he had said during an interview to Saamana in October 2009 But his son Uddhav backed the memorial plan Raj Thackeray has already termed the venture a waste of money While the BJP is raising its voice in support of the memorial one of its MLAs from Konkan Pramod Jathar has opposed the present idea demanding the monument be erected at Sindhudurg or Vijaydurg fort near Malwan He cited traffic congestion and reclamation of land as major problems in Mumbai Apart from this Mumbai International Airport Ltd MIAL had two years ago announced a grand Shivaji memorial on a twoacre plot at the entrance of the airport from Western Express Highway The monument is still waiting to take shape mdash The writer is Political Editor MiD DAY