HYDERABAD: One might not have looked at all 36 statues erected along the Tank Bund while passing through every day but it was different on Friday. Most passers-by could not avoid staring at the statues or whatever was left of them.
The Million March on Thursday had left behind an ugly mark on a beautiful thoroughfare. “It was a ghastly deed and has left an ugly mark on the city,” said Someshwar, an ice-cream vendor who had parked his cart near the vandalised statue of Sir Arthur Cotton. Someshwar couldn’t reach his daily spot on Thursday as police stopped him.
A few steps away, Balakrishna sat weeping under the damaged statue of P Brahma Naidu. Putting aside his Telugu paper- II of his IAS guidebook, an emotionally roused Balakrishna said, “What do the people who vandalised statues know about Telugu poets? The boy who hails from Khamman district sat there crying uncontrollably for over an hour.
As pent-up hatred and anger was let loose with vandals destroying 16 statues along the way, the day has left an indelible mark on people.
Daybreak came as a rude shock to many denizens. Krishnaveni, a social activist who had come to the Tank Bund early to pay homage to the leaders and visionaries of the state said in shock, “When I came here and saw the remains of some statues, I could not hold back my tears. It was a devastating experience to see statutes of our leaders targeted. I hail from Telangana but I would never support these steps to get a separate state. This is an insult to the entire nation.” Even as she was condemning the act, she was countered by a group of pro-Telangana students who said these statues should be felled since the promise of Telangana remained unfulfilled.
“It was a scene of complete madness. All statues were felled in front of police and paramilitary forces but none did anything to prevent protestors from vandalizing our leaders. The place looks like a wreck now,” said a street vendor Somaiah, who saw the entire drama unfold before his eyes.
Known for its scenic spots, the Tank Bund road that connects the twin cities now lies dotted with remains of statues of eminent personalities, including kings and poets who bought glory to this state. Even as political leaders took rounds of the area and made all kinds of observations, it seems the city would take some time to erase one of the ugliest days of Telangana-fury.