Lothal complex to showcase rich maritime history: PM
GANDHINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the upcoming National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad district will act as a centre for learning about India’s diverse maritime history.
The “long period of slavery” and indifference made us forget or overlook India’s rich maritime history, the Prime Minister said in his address after reviewing the construction of the complex at Lothal, about 80km from Ahmedabad. He added that the heritage developed in the country in the last eight years “gives us a glimpse of the vastness of India’s legacy”.
“There are many such tales of our history, which have been forgotten and ways have not been found to preserve them to pass them on to the next generation,” he said. “How much can we learn from those events of history? India’s maritime heritage is also a topic that has been not been talked about much.”
In his address, Modi also highlighted the vast spread of India’s trade and business in ancient times and its relations with every civilisation of the world. “Thousand years of slavery not only broke that tradition but we also grew indifferent towards our heritage and capabilities,” he said. “We forgot that we have great heritage like Lothal and Dholavira that were famous for maritime trade.”
Recalling the time when Kutch in Gujarat flourished as a manufacturing hub for big ships, Modi stressed the commitment of the government to revamp sites of historical significance. “Large ships made in India were sold all over the world. This indifference towards heritage has done a lot of damage to the country,” he said. “This situation needs to be changed.”
“The heritage developed in the country in the last eight years gives us a glimpse of the vastness of India’s legacy,” he said, citing the Statue of Unity in Rajpipla district as an example.