The sculpture by Kolkata artist Gautam Pal was unveiled in 2006. (File)
London:
The mayor of the city of Leicester has pledged to protect the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the heart of the central city of England, while an online petition created to save the threatened monument has attracted more than 6,000 signatures.
Peter Soulsby confirmed his support for the monument as the “great pride” of the city in his response to a letter from former British MP Leicester East Keith Vaz, who has campaigned since an online petition asked to have the statue removed last week. .
“I am delighted to be able to give you absolute assurance that there is no prospect that the council will accept the removal of the statue at any time – and certainly not while I am mayor,” said Labor chief Soulsby. of Leicester City Council.
“It is with great pride that our city, with the generous support of donors, has been able to celebrate the life of Bapu who has been a source of inspiration for the creation of modern India and such an example for the rest of the world “, did he declare. .
The bronze statue, which captures the leader of the struggle for freedom in its characteristic stride in the city’s famous Belgrave Road Golden Mile, appeared last week with an online petition “Remove the statue of Gandhi in Leicester “alleging that Gandhi was a” facist “. , racist and sexual predator “.
A counter-petition launched on Change.Org this week, “Save the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Leicester”, has since attracted thousands of signatures of support in a matter of days.
“The statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Leicester should never be removed because it looks like independence, non-violence and peace,” notes the petition.
“Together, we must fight for justice and save the statue of Gandhi,” he adds.
The sculpture by Kolkata artist Gautam Pal was unveiled in 2006 following a fundraising campaign by the Indian charity Samanwaya Pariwar.
Vaz, the former Labor member of Parliament of Goan origin who was present at the launch, led a silent social distance protest in accordance with the coronavirus lockdown rules at the monument last week, which was followed by another exhibit from “Leicester stands with Gandhiji “. Friday.
Leicester City Council said all representations would be taken into account as part of a broader review of the city’s statues, street names and buildings, which follows similar initiatives by local government officials. UK in the wake of anti-racism Black Lives Matter protests against statues with a questionable history of the slave trade.
“In a culturally diverse city like Leicester, it is important that we respect the history of all of our communities and that we understand the context of the historical references that are part of our street landscape and our built environment,” said one spokesperson. – word of the council.
Top-to-bottom statues of the UK have become a focal point of protests in recent days, as London mayor Sadiq Khan ordered blankets for sculptures on Parliament Square in the British capital following attacks by graffiti directed against certain monuments.
The mayor’s office in London has confirmed that after discussions with the Metropolitan Police, the statues of Gandhi and South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela in the square are to be discovered.
“After discussions with the Met, the covers of the statues of Gandhi and Mandela should be removed before the weekend,” said a spokesperson.
The statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the same square had already been discovered on Thursday in time for French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to London.
