Ponda: Telangana MLA T Raja Singh strongly supported the idea of a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ while addressing the Hindu Rashtra Awareness Sabha held on Sunday at Ponda.
Addressing the gathering, Raja Singh appealed to Hindus to remain united and vigilant against forces he said were attempting to divide society. He said that Hindus should not lose their religious and cultural identity.
The Telangana MLA also praised Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for the Goa government’s efforts to preserve historical and cultural heritage sites linked to Hindu resistance against Portuguese rule.
Referring to conservation initiatives at Mardangad Fort and the historic Hatkatro Khamb in Old Goa, Raja Singh urged Sawant to continue taking strong steps to safeguard the interests of the nearly 70 per cent Hindu population in Goa.
National spokesperson of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti Ramesh Shinde also called for Hindu unity.
He said that historical sites such as Hatkatro Khamb serve as reminders of atrocities committed during the Portuguese Inquisition in Goa and stressed the need to preserve such history for future generations.
Shinde also praised the Goa government and the Department of Archaeology for steps taken under the Goa Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites framework to protect heritage structures linked to Goa’s historical legacy. He said preserving forts, monuments and cultural heritage is essential to educating younger generations about ancestral struggles and sacrifices.
The Sabha concluded with resolutions calling for a curriculum inclusion of Inquisition history, and renaming Vasco as ‘Sambhaji Nagar’.
Also present were officials of the Mardangad Conservation Committee, including Manoj Gaonkar and Rajendra Desai.
