Jaipur: The Union govt Wednesday said there is no proposal under consideration to declare Banswara’s Mangarh Dham a national monument, clarifying its position in Parliament amid renewed political criticism over the historic tribal site.Mangarh Dham, on the Rajasthan-Gujarat border, is a key site for the Bhil community and is associated with a tribal uprising. On November 17, 1913, under the leadership of Govind Guru, a large gathering of Bhil Adivasis assembled at Mangarh Hill. British forces opened fire, killing around 1,500 tribals in an incident often called the “Adivasi Jallianwala Bagh.”Replying to questions from Udaipur BJP MP Mannalal Rawat in Lok Sabha, Culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said while demands have been made in the past, no such proposal is pending. He also said no plans are afoot to produce films or web series on Mangarh Dham or tribal icons linked to the site.Rawat had asked whether the govt was considering according national monument status for Mangarh Dham, whether films or web series were being planned on tribal icons such as Birsa Munda or on Mangarh Dham, and if any literature was commissioned on tribal heroes.
