As a person of Maratha descent even I am amazed that people are so up in arms about this whole issue. I too am a big fan of the Shivaji fables that were narrated to me repeatedly by my parents and relatives so that I would have a little bit of Maratha pride in me as I grew up American. I have also visited most of the forts all over Maharashtra and to this day remain in awe of all that I have seen. However as an adult who ascribes to objectivism, I am also aware that a lot of historical characters have goods and bads to them and that the stories I loved as a child were after all fables. This however does not change the fact that Shivaji is and will remain one of the single most exciting characters of Indian history.
