Statues of Bapu have been installed in many major junctions of the city to pay homage to the role he played in India’s freedom movement.
However, today these ‘works of remembrance’ remain only a ‘piece of beautification’ and mere hub for activists to launch their protest and agitation against the government, as the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has seen to it that they remain a place where people cannot go and seek inspiration.
When City Express visited the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Anand Rao Circle on September 25, we came across placards, plastic covers and other waste materials surrounding the statue. Moreover, there are provisions of lights around the statute which remains nonfunctional.
However, when City Express made its second trip on September 30, the scenario appeared a little better as the surroundings were cleaned ahead of Gandhi Jayanti. But the lights remained dysfunctional.
On a positive note, the Mahatma Gandhi statues at Gandhi Bhawan and Mahatma Gandhi Road are usually maintained well irrespective of occasions like Gandhi Jayanti. A vow of silence prevails on the premises at Gandhi Bhawan.
A quiet and calm place to visit, the memorial has been maintained and designed in such a way that it highlights the struggle that Bapu undertook.
MG Road on the other hand is dedicated to Bapu. A small park has been built in the memory of the father of the nation and is maintained by the BBMP. It is said that Bapu walked that lane one fine morning and since then, the road has been named after him. Although, the park is maintained well, there are a few fountains here which do not function.
We wonder if Bapu would have liked the wastage of money in such a fashion. However, ahead of Gandhi Jayanti special arrangements were made to decorate the park.