In an appalling low point amidst the vandalism and looting happening in the US considering protests the murder of George Floyd led to the destruction of the Mahatma Gandhi statue that stands erect in Washington DC.
The statue was desecrated and destroyed with graffiti paint earlier this week.
The statue was built back in 2000 on a triangular island along Massachusetts Avenue just in front of the Indian Embassy. It is garlanded and honoured every year by the Indian Ambassador to the US on the birth anniversary of Gandhi on October 02.
The situation around the area on October 02 is divine where community members come in and devotional songs are played to pay tribute to the peacemaker or the Father of the Nation. The sculpture has been done by a Bengali sculptor, Gautam Pal and was done as a gift by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations to commemorate his contributions to India and the world.
The statue itself is 2.64 m in length and poses the typical attire and the look of Gandhi during the Salt march. It is mounted and then sculpted on top of a 16” ruby granite that has been sourced from India.
It also bears an inscription on it with the infamous reply that Gandhi gave to a journalist when asked about his message to the world to which he said, “My life is my message.”
The mindless vandalism that impacted the statue brought in rows of condemnation from the people across the globe, even from US President Donald Trump who said that the event was very disappointing.
“We condemn this disrespectful act and are working with the relevant authorities and the Embassy of India to rectify the situation,” stated the State Department.
While Gandhi has never been to US or have shared any history here, his words and his insights of peace movement have had its impacts on this country too.
The United States Park police have already launched an investigation to find the individuals who were likely responsible for this vandalism and the whole act.
Some of the bystanders and locals who watched the scene unfold reported to news agency ANI that the same was done by some of the protestors who rallied during the Black Lives Matter march, seeking justice for the systemic racial injustice that has been ingrained into the system in US.
The statue has now been covered in a white cloth for restoration and will be unveiled again once the process is done and the statue attains its former glory.
