Historian Prof. G. L. Menaria UrgesKataria to Seriously Read His Book “Maharana Pratap the Great”

Udaipur.Senior historian and Founder President of the Global History Forum, Prof. (Dr.) G. L. Menaria, has urged the Hon’ble Governor Shri Gulab Chand Kataria to study his authored book “Maharana Pratap the Great” with due seriousness before making any comments on the life and legacy of Maharana Pratap.

Recently, newspapers reported a statement allegedly made by Shri Gulab Chand Kataria on 22 December 2025 at a stone inscription programme in Gogunda, claiming that “Maharana Pratap was brought to life for the first time by the Janata Party.” This statement was strongly refuted by senior historians of the Global History Forum and the Mewar History Council. In a joint meeting, the historians termed the statement unhistorical, inconsistent, and illogical, and strongly condemned it.

The historians demanded that Shri Gulab Chand Kataria issue a public clarification and tender a public apology for the statement. Failing this, they warned that such remarks would not only undermine the dignity of the high constitutional office of the Governor of Punjab but would also damage the public image of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Dr. G. L. Menaria stated that he had personally presented a copy of his book “Maharana Pratap the Great” to the Hon’ble Governor during his stay at the Circuit House in Udaipur. He emphasized that only after a serious and scholarly study of authentic historical sources should any commentary be made on a legendary, invincible national hero like Maharana Pratap.

During the meeting, the historians collectively asserted that Maharana Pratap does not belong to any political party or ideology. Rather, it was the legacy of Maharana Pratap’s uncompromising struggle for independence that inspired Maharana Bhupal Singh of Mewar to announce the complete merger of the Mewar princely state into the Indian Union at the request of leaders such as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. This historic decision, they noted, became a catalyst for other princely states to come forward in building a united, independent, and powerful India.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Ajatshatru Singh Ranawat, General Secretary of the Global History Forum, along with Dr. Minakshi Menaria, Dr. Manoj Bhatnagar, Dr. J. K. Ojha, Sohanlal Joshi, Chandan Singh Khokhawat, Dr. Ramsingh Rathore, and other historians, who expressed their views in one voice.

The historians concluded by reiterating that Maharana Pratap is not the legacy of any political party, but an eternal symbol of national pride, freedom, and self-respect for the entire nation.