"our rich & varied cultural heritage has a profound power to build our nation" Nelson Mandela
What we create is probably not as important as much as what we preserve and pass onto the next generation, for we are but Trustees of what our ancestors had bequeathed us. This Trusteeship most of the time remains in immaterial form, very intangible as signified in the all encompassing term, "culture." Sometimes these cultural aspects manifest itself in material things, like buildings, stones and so and so. Now stones in itself do not mean anything. Marbles and masons had existed for ages, but it required the strategic vision of a Shahjahan to see the monumental possibility of what would eventually become the seventh wonder. These wonderful monuments, some of them are extremely beautiful in the traditional sense, like the mausoleum, while some are obscenely beautiful in a monochromatic way like Hampi have a story, that narrates how our ancestors had lived their lives, how they had carried forward the legacy that they had inherited and enhanced it. It is not just entertainment, but education too. So while Shahjahan visualized the possibility of a Tajmahal through all the marble lying around the country, at the same time another man, not very far off, also gazed through all the marbles of discontent strewn across the Deccan and what did he see? The monumental possibility of a beautiful Maratha Swarajya! Different men in different conditions, conjoined by time! Once the Vision was in place, Shivaji formulated his strategy and worked towards it. While he was himself not much educated formally, yet there is so much to learn from him on Strategy, Leadership, Diplomacy and Military Warfare. His men were loyal enough to die for him, and today talent retention is a strategic failure for most CEOs. Are conditions really different as most may contend? It was a time when multi-lateral non-linear thinking across time and space was the key. The modern day overemphasis on logical analytical thinking has blunted our vision. It has its advantages, but it is not to be found in the corner office when formulating strategies; for survival, for growth, for the future. Most of the time, we simply fail to see the big picture. Leaders of yore were free of these modern curses. Out of the Box was the norm. So when I decided to narrate the story of Shivaji, the best way was to do it from the perspective of his forts. March to Swarajya is a Trilogy of Forts comprising of First Strike at Tornagad, Great Escape to Rajgad and Coronation at Raigad. While at a broader level the objective is to enhance the general awareness of our rich heritage, at a tactical level, the objective is to increase the footfalls at our historic forts. As more people come, the infrastructure would improve, which in turn, well it can be a virtuous cycle. While we work for a stronger India, the GenNext should also not be denied its rightful roots. Coronation @ Raigad.
