NEW DELHI: Governor of Maharashtra Dr

and chief minister Devendra Phadnavis will dedicate the portrait of the great naval emperor from Tamil Nadu

I to Mazgon Docks. Chairman of celebration committee

and MD of the

Ship Builder Rear Admiral (retd) Rahul Kumar Shrawat will receive the portrait in a solemn function on Thursday at 3.30pm. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar has sent a special congratulatory message for the occasion.

Ravi Bhusari, org secretary BJP, Maharashtra, Prof Sanjay Deshmukh, VC of the Mumbai University and Capt. Selvan, BJP MLA, (the lone Tamil MLA in Maharashtra) shall also join as special guest.

"Rajendra Chola was the greatest naval emperor of the world, India produced a millennium ago (1014 CE — year of coronation) and his memory is essential not only for national unity but also to get inspiration to keep

as a zone of peace," Tarun Vijay said. "Exactly 35 years before UN had passed a resolution declaring Indian Ocean a peace-zone but today India needs to increase its presence and activities in the region to have that come true," he added.

Vijay further said that "Indian ocean has a span of more than 10 thousand kms and the region contains 1/3 of the world’s population, 25% of its landmass, 40% of the world’s oil and gas reserves. It is the locus of important international sea lines of communication (SLOCs)."