Modiji is absolutely correct. Even when Shivaji chopped off Shaista Khan's fingers, he spared the members of Shaista Khans harem who cowered before him. He was a very tolerant, secular leader who was perhaps centuries ahead of his thinking. He had the highest respect for women which is thus a part of Maharashtrian culture and which has got eroded due to presence of uocountry people in Maharashtra. Since I come from Bengal, I empathise with Raj Thackeray on these issues and support him.
We must pay due respect to figures such as Shivaji and Guru Gobind Singh who dared to fight the tyranny of Islam and it is only thanks to them that Hinduism is alive today. Also, India is secular because it is a hindu country and we are very tolerant and very forgiving. The ancient hindu kings in the 11th century in fact defeated the afghan kings like Mahmud of Ghazni and sent them back with gifts. Later when the afghans came back, they killed these hindu kings. So much for ingratitude which is a known muslim trait of character.
We need more people like Modiji and Ariel Sharon who can take on terrorism and tyranny. If Modiji becomes PM in 2009 it will herald a new era in Indian politics.
Shivaji was the first king who built a strong navy and the likes of Sardar Kanhoji Angre were inspired by him. He also hired French soldiers and mercenaries to train his gunners and built a strong yet nimble army which ultimately defeated Aurangzeb in the deccan and paved way for Peshwa rule in 1737.
