Jaipur: Civil society groups in Rajsamand have urged the Rajasthan govt to locate the proposed Maharana Pratap statue and museum under the Rs 275.68-crore tourism circuit at the original Haldighati battlefield.The demand comes amid indications that the govt is considering installing the statue away from the original place of battle and developing the museum at another location in Rajsamand.In a memorandum submitted Friday, the Haldighati Tourism Committee and Haldighati Press Club demanded that the original Haldighati pass be selected for the statue and Rakt Talai, where the fiercest phase of the 1576 battle was fought, for the museum.The groups have also lodged a complaint on the Rajasthan Sampark portal, seeking protection of the original battlefield and its historical monuments, particularly in Khamnor. “We have approached everyone, from the royal family in Udaipur to govt in Jaipur, including the Union culture ministry and the state govt. Despite repeated representations, nothing has been done to restore and protect these monuments,” said Kamal Kishore Paliwal of the Haldighati Tourism Committee.The complaint comes ahead of a proposed high court hearing in Dec, as the state pursues a Rs 275.68-crore detailed project report (DPR) and an MoU worth around Rs 168 crore for tourism development.Citing historical accounts, including that of Mughal court historian Abul Fazl, the organisations said the Battle of Haldighati, fought on June 18, 1576, began at the narrow pass between Khamnor and Balicha and extended through Rakt Talai towards Banas river and Molela. They maintained that Khamnor was the main battlefield, with Rakt Talai witnessing the fiercest fighting.The complaint also alleged that memorials associated with Hakim Khan near the entrance to the pass had disappeared. It claimed that a platform built by the Parashar family around 100-125 years ago as a religious memorial to Bhole Baba’s Sagasji at Rakt Talai was subsequently identified as Hakim Khan’s mazar. The groups have sought an inquiry to establish the original identity of these structures.They have also demanded an assessment of the previously proposed site in the Haldighati pass hills for the statue.The memorandum recalled that then Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal had announced a Rs 5-crore museum at Rakt Talai at a public meeting on Jan 1, 2023, with 80% funding from the Centre and 20% from the state.The groups urged the govt to honour the announcement and prioritise Khamnor-Rakt Talai under the tourism circuit and the third phase of Mewar Complex scheme.
