The recently unveiled ' Statue of Unity' in Gujarat, is a befitting tribute to the well-deserving Indian patriot Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. This event has however stirred up a hornet's nest in India resulting in a statue race in the country.
Maharashtra Government, with the backing of Shiv Sena, has now plans to erect a statue of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj off the Mumbai coast in the Arabian Sea. This will be 212 metres tall with the approximate expenditure of Rs 2,800 crores.
Karnataka Government has started work on constructing a statue of Mother Cauvery in Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir in Mandya District near Bengaluru. This will have a height of 125 feet costing Rs 1,200 crores.
Rajasthan Government has come out with an idea of building a 351 feet tall statue of Lord Shiva near Nathdwara that will be unparallel in the world.
The ex-Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Ms Mayawati, is already infamous for erecting statues of herself, her party's founder late Kanshiram and BSP's election symbol 'Elephant', all over UP.
No wonder then, very soon India will be known as a country with the highest no. of statues in the world or 'Statue Capital' of the world.
Undoubtedly, Indian mythology is full of gods and goddesses that are all worshipped with great faith. Similarly, Indian history contains names of a no. of heroes, warriors and protagonists that deserve a lot of recognition for their patriotism, philanthropy and unselfish services.
However, entering in a 'Statue Race' as a matter of futile competition should be avoided as it involves taxpayer's hard-earned money. Moreover, the country is faced with several other pressing problems that demand a much higher priority.
Bharat Shah
Rayners Lane
