Mumbai: The Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government has invited bids for its proposed ‘Swatantraveer Savarkar’ theme park dedicated to Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, ThePrint has learnt.
First announced in February, the project is being driven by the state tourism department, helmed by BJP’s Mangal Prabhat Lodha. It is expected to come up in Nashik’s Bhagur village, where Savarkar was born in 1883.
The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has called for bids to prepare a master plan and a detailed project report for the theme park. ThePrint has seen the tender documents.
An official from the state tourism department who didn’t wish to be named said, “The theme park will be developed at village Bhagur where V.D. Savarkar was born. The architect/consultant we pick will ascertain the land requirement for the project, identify the land required and prepare land acquisition proposals.”
He added: “The idea is to have various experiential activities so that visitors get a glimpse into the life and struggles of Savarkar.”
According to the tender documents, the consultant will have to prepare initial plans, draw up cost estimates, conduct site investigations, supervise actual work, help in land acquisition, get the necessary approvals from different departments and so on.
ThePrint tried to reach Saurabh Vijay, principal secretary of the Maharashtra tourism department, via calls and text messages. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
Bhagur is about 22 km from Nashik city and 4 km from the Deolali hill station in the district. The Hindutva icon’s house, Savarkar Wada, still stands in the village and is a tourist attraction.
Also Read: Read this before deciding whether Savarkar was a British stooge or strategic nationalist
Politics over Savarkar
The Shinde government’s plan for a theme park based on Savarkar comes at a time when both ruling parties — the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena — have been projecting him as their icon. Last month, both parties led ‘Savarkar Gaurav yatras’ across Maharashtra to highlight his life and achievements, and their own supposed commitment to his ideology.
The rallies were prompted by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegedly objectionable remarks about Savarkar, which caused a rift between the Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).
The two parties are allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which also includes the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
The rallies were a way for the BJP and Shinde-led Shiv Sena to take political advantage of the situation by trying to show how they are more committed to honouring Savarkar as compared to the Shiv Sena (UBT) — a party whose ally allegedly disrespects his legacy.
One of the first such ‘Savarkar Gaurav Yatras’ had started from the Bhagur village.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
Also Read: Savarkar never offered a clear definition of Project Hindutva. A new book shows that again