‘Shiv aarti' to mark heritage site tag for 12 forts built by Shivaji Maharaj
The forts built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj are not merely architectural marvels, they stand as enduring symbols of valour and vision that defined 'Hindavi Swarajya'. The celebrations kicked off Saturday at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park in Dadar, where Minister for Cultural Affairs Ashish Shelar offered floral tributes at the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj amid the sounds of dhol-tasha.
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Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Row over movie on Shivaji: Cultural Affairs dept asks censor board to re-examine ‘Khalid Ka Shivaji' certification
Maharashtra government's Cultural Affairs department has written to the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to re-examine the censor board certification given to Marathi film 'Khalid Ka Shivaji' and exhibition of the film be kept in abeyance until a decision is taken after re-examination. The film, which has been cleared by the censor board, has been facing opposition from Hindu right wing organisations and a protest to this effect was held during the Maharashtra State Marathi Film Awards ceremony held on Tuesday. 'The State Government has received a written complaint dated 05/08/2025 from Shri Nilesh Bhise alleging that certain dialogue in the said film related to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj are factually incorrect and likely to hurt public sentiments, after viewing the trailer. It has been further brought to notice that protests were recently staged during the State Film Awards function demanding a ban on the film and deletion of the controversial dialogues. There is apprehension that the exhibition of this film in its present form may lead to law and order problems in the State. It is also learnt that the film is scheduled to be released on 08/08/2025,' said the letter from state's Cultural Affairs department secretary Dr Kiran Kulkarni to Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. 'In view of the protests, prevailing public sentiment, and the apprehension of disturbance to public order, I am to request that the Ministry may kindly invoke the powers vested under Section 6(1) of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 as prohibitory temporary measure and direct the CBFC to re-examine the certificate issued for the said film. It is further requested that the exhibition of the film be kept in abeyance until a decision is taken after re-examination,' the letter said.
Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘Khalid Ka Shivaji': Row over Marathi film in Maharashtra, how BJP has reacted
A Marathi film titled 'Khalid Ka Shivaji' has ignited a controversy in Maharashtra, drawing protests from right-wing groups who allege that it distorts the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The protest against the film led to the disruption of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's speech at a government function on Tuesday. BJP ministers have now talked about reconsidering the censor board clearance granted to the film. At the heart of the dispute lies a long-standing ideological debate in Maharashtra on whether Shivaji Maharaj was primarily a Hindu warrior-king or a secular, inclusive ruler who stood against oppression regardless of religion. Khalid Ka Shivaji has been made by director Raj Pritam More, who in 2019 won the National Film Award for his Marathi film Khissa under the 'Best Debut Non-Feature Film of a Director' category. His latest film, which is to be released this week, is about a Muslim boy who learns about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj through life experiences. The 2.3-minute trailer of the film, which has caused offence, shows the story of a boy named Khalid living in Vidarbha's Wardha district, focusing on his life experiences as a student as well as his admiration of Shivaji Maharaj. The movie, from publicly available footage, shows Khalid being taunted by his classmates as Afzal Khan, the Adilshahi general killed by Shivaji Maharaj and much hated in Maharashtra. A voiceover in the film talks about 35 per cent of Shivaji Maharaj's soldiers being Muslims, 11 of his bodyguards being from the community, and Shivaji Maharaj having built a mosque for his soldiers in Raigad, the seat of the Maratha throne. 'A true king is someone who does not believe in religion. A true king is someone who follows the religion of the whole world,' a character is heard saying in the movie. The movie also shows the character of Khalid dressing up as Shivaji Maharaj. Why are members of the right wing upset with the movie? The tussle over the portrayal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra is a long-running ideological conflict between secular-progressive groups and right-wing Hindutva organisations. The dispute is mainly over what Shivaji Maharaj stood for, and if he should be remembered as a Hindutva icon, or as a secular, inclusive, anti-caste symbol of justice and regional self-rule. Right-wing groups have often portrayed Shivaji Maharaj an early symbol of Hindu nationalism, resisting 'foreign' Islamic rule and establishing a Hindu state (Hindavi Swarajya). Secular thinkers, historians, and leftists, however, have challenged this description, arguing that Shivaji Maharaj was not anti-Muslim, but anti-oppression. Veteran Communist leader Govind Pansare, in his widely read book Shivaji Kon Hota? (Who Was Shivaji?), portrayed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as a secular, inclusive, and anti-caste ruler. Pansare was killed in February 2015 near his home in Kolhapur. One of the central aspects of Pansare's narrative was Shivaji's treatment of Muslims. He highlighted that Shivaji Maharaj employed several Muslims in high-ranking positions within his army and administration, and cited several historical incidents where Shivaji Maharaj respected mosques and religious sites. What do the right wing groups want and how has the state reacted? On Tuesday, two men shouted slogans demanding a ban on the movie at the Maharashtra State Film Awards function in the presence of Fadnavis. As the CM rose to speak, the two protesters stood up in the auditorium, holding placards and shouting that 'distortion of history' should be stopped. Fadnavis halted his address and told the duo he had heard their demands, requesting them not to disrupt the programme. As they continued to shout, the police whisked them out of the auditorium. Hindu Mahasangh, based in Maharashtra's Pune, has lodged its objections with both the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the film's producers. 'The film attempts to distort the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The producers have depicted him as secular, which we find unacceptable. If the film is not banned, we will protest at the theatres where it is shown,' said Anand Dave, chairman of the Hindu Mahasangh. 'We urge all theatres in Pune not to screen this film. If it is shown in rural areas, we will visit cinema halls and hold lectures on the true history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,' he said. Dave further claimed that the film tries to change the historical narrative. 'Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj belonged to us, to Hindus, and Marathas. Our objection is to the very idea of Khalid Ka Shivaji,' he stated. The Maharashtra government, meanwhile, has said it will seek the cancellation of the CBFC certification of the film. 'We understand the emotions of the people who have submitted their objections regarding the film. The CBFC has given certification to this film. I have asked… The Principal Secretary of the Department of Cultural Affairs has been directed to reconsider the CBFC certification for the film. Hurting public sentiments and misrepresenting history is something that is unacceptable and I would ask the CBFC to reconsider its decision,' Maharashtra Culture minister Ashish Shelar said.
Hindustan Times
17 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Rising communal tensions, internal divisions & economic boycotts spark fear across Maha villages
PUNE: Even as the dust settles on the violence that rocked Yavat in Daund tehsil of Pune district a week ago following a derogatory social media post and desecration of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on July 26, the fissures caused by rising communal tensions and divisions within the Muslim community not to mention the economic fallout of the same are becoming increasingly apparent. The Yavat Gram Panchayat has only added fuel to the fire by passing a resolution calling for a survey to identify 'outsiders' settled in the town (HT) Yavat – a town with a population of around 20,000 on the Pune-Solapur highway – has for long been a melting pot with migrants from Marathwada and other states settling there over the years, many of them Muslims. In the aftermath of the violence however, there is now a rift within the Muslim community. A lifelong resident of Yavat on condition of anonymity said, 'We've lived together for generations. But now, everyone is looking over their shoulder. The word 'outsider' is being bandied around even among our own people.' Faiyaz Tamboli, a local property dealer, echoed similar sentiments. 'A day prior to the violence, I had tea with friends from all communities. The next day, houses were attacked. Nothing feels the same anymore,' he said. The Yavat Gram Panchayat has only added fuel to the fire by passing a resolution calling for a survey to identify 'outsiders' settled in the town, especially in areas such as Indira Nagar and Sahakar Nagar that are home to many migrant Muslims. Sarpanch Sammer Durge even claimed that the man accused of desecrating the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was an outsider and that such elements must be identified to maintain peace. A local social worker said, 'What's dangerous is that now, even Muslim communities are being internally divided. The word 'outsider' is being used to dehumanise, isolate, and eventually expel'. Earlier in May, a similar incident occurred in Mulshi tehsil in which the desecration of the idol at Nageshwar temple in Paud involving a minor and his father, both from the Muslim community, sparked the emergence of banners in villages such as Paud, Urawade and Ghotawade banning entry to 'non-local Muslims'. The police eventually removed these signboards and arrested those responsible but the damage lingered. Many Muslim-owned bakeries, shops, and scrap businesses were forced to shut down amid threats and calls for boycott. Najmuddin Khan, whose bakery had served Paud for over two decades, said, 'I've never experienced anything like this. Even during the worst of times, we lived together. This time, people stopped talking to us. They stopped buying from us. I had to shut down.' Another resident who did not wish to be named said that the small scrap shop he had been running for 10 years was burned down in the days after the desecration. 'No one came forward to help. Not even the landlord. I had to leave. I went back to my native village in Uttar Pradesh,' he said. Civil rights groups such as the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) documented how (Muslim) families who had lived and worked in Paud, Pirangut, Kolvan, and Sutarwadi for decades were suddenly labelled as 'outsiders' and driven out. The fear, residents said, was not just of violence, but of being isolated and pushed into poverty and invisibility. According to the PUCL's June 30 (2025) petition, nearly 40 families fled Paud and its neighbouring areas. The report stated that in addition to economic isolation, the atmosphere had become emotionally and psychologically hostile for minorities, especially amid calls from politicians, one such being Maharashtra minister for fisheries and port development, Nitesh Rane. Rane in March launched the 'Malhar Certification', a private initiative for Hindu meat traders, which he claimed would identify '100% Hindu-run mutton shops' and ensure 'no adulteration'. The certification, he said, would help customers avoid Halal meat and favour meat prepared through Jhatka methods by Hindu butchers. 'Only Hindus will be involved in Jhatka production. There will be no ritualistic slaughter,' Rane said, indicating an economic boycott of Muslims. General secretary of PUCL, Milind Champanerkar, observed, 'This isn't just about local vendettas. There's a larger ideological push that's creating deep polarisation.' He added that these boycott campaigns are not spontaneous but part of a deliberate strategy to isolate Muslims from economic and social life. 'Unless these actions are nipped in the bud, they'll become normalised. The administration has to draw a red line,' he said. When contacted, Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi told Hindustan Times that he had received the PUCL's letter and was re-evaluating the situation. 'According to feedback from Pune rural and Pimpri-Chinchwad police, the boycott was reportedly withdrawn two months ago. Still, I've asked for fresh reports. If unconstitutional activities are continuing, disciplinary action will follow.' Whereas superintendent of police Sandeep Singh Gill said that the signboards with hate messages that had emerged in villages including Paud had been taken down. 'The situation is now normal,' he said. However, for many affected families, normalcy is still far away. Elsewhere in Guha village of Rahuri, Ahilyanagar, another dispute—over the identity of a 500-year-old dargah—similarly led to Muslim shopkeepers being asked to vacate their premises. While members of local religious trusts denied perpetrating any such organised campaign, residents said that the message is clear: Muslims, especially those not rooted in the village for generations, are being viewed with suspicion. From Yavat to Paud to Rahuri, the thread connecting these incidents is not just communal polarisation but also the stigmatisation of 'outsiders' and the shrinking space for coexistence. Earlier this year in February, a gram sabha in Madhi village of Ahilyanagar district (formerly Ahmednagar) passed a resolution barring Muslim traders from participating in the annual Kanifnath Maharaj Yatra. The move was justified by some villagers as an attempt to preserve 'traditions' though critics labelled it as an unconstitutional act of exclusion. Despite the outcry, the decision was allowed to stand. A similar pattern emerged in June when the Shri Shaneshwar Devasthan Trust in Shani Shingnapur dismissed 167 employees, including 114 Muslims, citing issues like absenteeism and underperformance. The move came shortly after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Sangram Jagtap threatened to launch a protest over the hiring of Muslim staff at the shrine. While the trust denied any communal motivation, activists and locals saw it as another sign of increasing religious discrimination being brushed off as administrative routine. PUCL vice-president Anwar Rajan summarised the concern as, 'Communal rhetoric is no longer confined to speeches. It's influencing village decisions, reshaping local economies, and redefining who belongs and who doesn't. If not countered urgently, these patterns could become permanent'.
