The
Udaipur Military Festival – 2023
Introduction:
Welcome to India’s first global military festival at Udaipur
India plays host to a
spectrum of conclaves, culture and literature festivals held across the country
every year. These events have, over the years, become popular forums to raise
issues of concern in domains as diverse as literature, history and heritage on
the one hand; to business, economic, cultural and political issues at the other
end. Forums like the Raisina Dialogue or the Jaipur Literature Festival have
gained iconic status and become marquee events in the calendar year of India.
There is a noteworthy absence of an exclusive Military
Conclave which focuses on issues of contemporary and historical concern to
India, and Asia as a geo-political strategic region. As
India seeks to be a major player in military and strategic affairs on the world
stage, the Udaipur Military Festival is emerging as the appropriate platform.
The United Service
Institution of India (USI), a 152-year-old institution of military repute is
collaborating with the Maharana Pratap Smarak Samiti (MPSS) to institutionalize
and curate this multi-disciplinary international military festival to be held
annually in the heritage-city of Udaipur.
Udaipur, once the capital-city
of the erstwhile Princely State of Udaipur, Mewar, exemplifies the finest
values which define our Indian civilization and culture. Valour, loyalty,
discipline, respect for mankind, ethical dealings in times of peace and war,
and the ideal of independence have been upheld in the region of Mewar and
Rajasthan over the centuries.
The Udaipur Military
Festival, in many ways, is a tribute to generations of our Custodians of the
State of Udaipur, warriors, soldiers and their families who have lived by this universal
value-system. Often sacrificing their lives for these ideals which are the
living heritage of our land, a spectrum of legacies to which today we are proud
to be contributing.
In Udaipur and the region of
Mewar, and across the modern state of Rajasthan, the presence of ancient
fort-cities, forts, fortifications at the village-levels and temples are
indicative of the significance of the army and all its affiliated activities.
It also is a pointer to the
development of the sciences, knowledge-systems and crafts which flourished in
this region enabling the armies to maintain elephants, horses, soldiers, arms
and armouries, medicines, and fodder.
In the twenty-first century,
the city of Udaipur and the House of Mewar continue to provide platforms for
Indian and global audiences to remain rooted in their culture and heritage.
The Custodians of the House
of Mewar are bringing together like-minded institutions, non-profits and people
who are facilitating the preservation of the living heritage of Mewar which
belongs not just our land but the entire humankind. The Udaipur Military
Festival is a shining example of these collective endeavours.
About theMaharana Pratap Smarak Samiti (MPSS)
Located at Moti Magri in
Udaipur, the MPSS was formed in the pre-Independence era by the State of Mewar
with the objective of raising a befitting memorial for Maharana Pratap. By
1955-56, the memorial at Moti Magri took shape and has remained a centre for
initiatives and activities related to Maharana Pratap and the history of Mewar,
Rajasthan. The Smarak Samiti was registered under the provisions of the
Rajasthan Societies Registration Act, 1955 (No. XXVIII of 1955) in the year
1982 and a certificate of registration was issued by the Registrar in favour of
the Smarak Samiti. Members of the former
Royal House of Mewar are steering the Maharana Pratap Smarak Samiti with the
aim of keeping alive the legacies of the Custodians of Mewar since the 8th
century CE.
About
the United Service Institution of India (USI)
The United Service Institution of India (USI) (founded
1870) is India's premier national
security and defence services think-tank. Its aim is the “furtherance of
interest and knowledge in the art, science and literature of the defence
services". The USI Journal is the oldest military journal in Asia and has
been a barometer of India's strategic and military concerns over the years. The
Institution has niche expertise in the
field of National Security, Geopolitics, International Relations, Military
Diplomacy, Military Heritage, UN Peacekeeping, professional skill development
and Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence
technology. The institution regularly conducts programmes for the National
Defence College, War Colleges, IAS Academy, Foreign Service Institute, National
Policy Academy and Universities. It brings together the strategic community and
policymakers on one platform for informed debates on evolving strategic affairs
and security concerns.
The USI
Centre for Military History and Conflict Studies (CMHCS) encourages objective
study of all facets of Indian military history with a special emphasis on the
history of the Indian Armed Forces. It
is the only centre of its kind dedicated to the study of Indian military
history and the preservation of India’s military heritage. It focuses on
diverse aspects of Indian military evolution, policies and practices, as well
as the field of contemporary conflict studies in the broader sense. In
addition, the Centre is active in the field of public diplomacy, commemoration
and remembrance, development of military museums and conservation of military
heritage, for which it collaborates with multiple global partners.
AIM
To
acquaint future thought leaders with the dynamics of comprehensive national
security with special emphasis on India's strategic culture, military heritage,
modernisation of security forces and Atmanirbhar Bharat Programme.
OBJECTIVES
1. Promote India's rich military heritage and
indigenous military cultures.
2. Promote literature on Indian military history, indigenous historical
knowledge and the art and science of warfare.
3. Facilitate policymakers and strategic thinkers to build consensus on
issues concerning modern warfare and India's interests and aspirations.
4. To provide a platform to the designers, developers, manufacturers
and Industry partners for promoting the Atmanirbhar Bharat programme.
5. Provide a stage for discussions of future and emerging technologies
in the military domain and showcase developments in these technologies in
influencing the modern battlespace.
6. To promote a nuanced understanding of evolving
geopolitics, its impact on the global order and implications for India's
strategic security.
7. Inculcate not only the 'All of Government' approach
to national security, but to engage the whole of the nation to foster greater
understanding of the current and emerging security challenges in a holistic
manner.
Content
The Udaipur Military Festival will have
suitable interactive sessions on the following four broad themes:
1. Military Heritage & Culture including Indigenous Military
Strategic Thought.
2. Contemporary Wars Across the World, Changing Military Strategies
& Technologies.
3. Veer Gatha - Special
Session for Children on our military history, valour and gallantry in keeping
with the new Education Policy.
4. Civil - Military Fusion in Defence with focus on Make in India
& Atmanirbhar India.
Takeaways
* The Udaipur Military Festival is a major rendezvous for the entire military ecosystem – academicians,
writers, military professionals, soldiers, defence manufacturers, military
users, government officials entrusted with the security of India.
* It’s a platform for foreign and defence companies to seek common
areas of interest to further their
businesses under the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives.
*
The Udaipur Military Festival seeks to delve into India’s history
and culture and showcase it to the world community. In doing so, it takes pride
in reinforcing India’s stature as an old
civilization with a rich history and a military tradition of soldiering and
warfighting over centuries.
* It’s a platform for
writers, academicians, thinkers, journalists and military history buffs to
release their books/works, publish their views & thoughts as well as share
their knowledge on military history & culture of India.
* As a part of a novel initiative by the Ministries of Defence and
Education to promote a sense of pride in history in successive generations,
this event will provide impetus to the
VEERGATHA programme and involve children and youth in learning about the
courage, valour and military achievements of our ancestors and forefathers.
Conduct
The Udaipur
Military Festival will be hosted at
the historic City Palace of Udaipur. The festival is planned to be conducted over three days, annually in October
during the holy period of Dussehra. This is symbolic, in that the festival of
Dussehra celebrates the military spirit of victory and fits well into the theme
of the Udaipur Military Festival. For the year 2023 it is planned as follows:
Day 1 (21 Oct 2023) - The Inaugural Session (Valedictory address) and Subsequentsessions with cultural performances interspersed in between.
Day 2 (22 Oct 2023) - Multiple
sessions with book signings and cultural performances such as folk puppet shows
and martial arts and a live witness to the Ban Mataji Procession at the City
palace in the morning.
Day 3 (23 Oct 2023) - Closing
Session followed by Ashwa Poojan (Worship of Horses) in the evening (5-7.30
pm), an event which is a big draw due to its immense popularity.
Every day sessions will be held across two
or more venues simultaneously. These venues are all located within Udaipur in
and around the City Palace and Moti Magri.