-Petition Filed in Legislature Demanding Amendments

– Objection Lodged Against Referring to Freedom Struggle as 'Upliftment'

Nagpur, 28 February (H.S.): A fierce debate has ignited across Maharashtra following the depiction of the 1857 Indian Freedom Struggle—also known as the First War of Independence—in the state government's official Marathi Encyclopedia as mere uthav (uprising or revolt). Activists, journalists, litterateurs, cultural figures, and social leaders have filed a petition in the state legislature demanding immediate amendments to rectify what they term a gross distortion of history and an insult to freedom fighters.

The petition, submitted to the presiding officers of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and Council, asserts that the 1857 struggle transcends the label of a mere uthav or vidroh (rebellion). Instead, it unequivocally designates the event as India's inaugural armed battle for sovereignty against British colonial rule. Petitioners invoke the seminal work of revolutionary thinker Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, whose book

The Indian War of Independence, 1857 (originally 1857 che Swatantryasamar) meticulously chronicles the episode as a full-fledged freedom war, not a localized mutiny.In Volumes 1 and 18 of the Marathi Vishwakosh—published by the Maharashtra State Marathi Vishwakosh Mandal—the historic episode is inconsistently referenced. Some sections dub it Athrash e Sattavancha Uthav (The Uprising of 1857), others as vidroh (rebellion), and sporadically as swadhinata sangram (freedom struggle). This inconsistency, the petitioners argue, constitutes a profound injustice to historical accuracy.

Objections to Depiction of Freedom Fighters

The memorandum raises particularly vehement objections to the encyclopedia's handling of iconic freedom fighters. Figures such as Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, Nana Saheb, and Tatya Tope are mentioned in the singular form, diminishing their stature and collective legacy. The petitioners decry this as disrespectful to warriors who made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation.They further reference Vasant Varkhedkar's acclaimed work Sattavancha Senani (The Warriors of 1857), which vividly narrates Rani Lakshmibai's valor, Tatya Tope's sacrifices, and the epic heroism of the broader struggle. Such literary endorsements underscore the imperative for dignified, contextual representation in official records.

Memorandum Submitted to Top Leadership

Led by veteran Nagpur journalist Avinash Pathak, the delegation presented the petition directly to Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar and Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde. It bears signatures from a wide array of prominent journalists, authors, and esteemed citizens, reflecting broad societal consensus.

Recognizing the issue's gravity, copies of the petition have been dispatched to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Sunetra Pawar and Eknath Shinde, and Marathi Language Minister Uday Samant. Photocopies of the impugned encyclopedia pages are annexed as irrefutable evidence, bolstering the demand for corrective action.

The petitioners emphasize that tampering with the nomenclature and context of pivotal historical events wounds the nation's collective self-respect. They urge the immediate revision of forthcoming editions of the Marathi Vishwakosh and its official website to explicitly label the 1857 events as the Swadhinata Sangram (Freedom Struggle). Equally critical is ensuring reverential references to freedom fighters in all future publications.

This outcry aligns with longstanding historiographical debates in India, where the 1857 Revolt—sparked by sepoy mutinies in Meerut and rapidly evolving into a widespread anti-colonial uprising—has been championed by nationalists like Savarkar as the bedrock of independence fervor. British chroniclers, conversely, dismissed it as the Sepoy Mutiny, a narrative the encyclopedia's phrasing inadvertently echoes.

As Maharashtra's government and legislature deliberate on this sensitive matter, the eyes of historians, patriots, and the public remain fixed on the outcome. Will the state prioritize factual integrity and national honor by amending the encyclopedia? The response could set a precedent for how official knowledge repositories honor India's hard-fought path to freedom.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar