From time immemorial creating huge temples, statues and palaces are part of Indian culture, no matter whether it is the magnificent temples of South, or the beautiful temples of Orrisa, Orcha etc. Still Taj Mahal, Mysore palace, Palaces of Rajasthan etc. are attracting millions of visitors. Creation of all these structures happened long times back when huge empires have the means and supported these initiatives. After that a lot of waters flowed through Ganga, millions died due to notorious famines in her shores; artificial lines had broken the continuity of the subcontinent which was a continuous land even after the breaking from from Panjiya.
Protecting art is not bad; in fact it’s a way of preserving our culture for the coming generation. I don’t have any problem if some one wants to spend a million (any amount for that matter) for a painting or statues. As far as it personal and the hard earned money of individual it’s ok. But what right’s governments have to spend the hard earned money of her citizens to spend in such projects, whose sole purpose is to satisfy someone’s wild dreams? It a practice in different civilizations to create memorials for various occasions ranging from the victory in war to that of the death of their bellowed leaders who worked for a national cause. Government can build memorials when it is necessary (and also have enough money to spend) but that should not be the only job of them. People didn’t elected their representatives for building their own statues, they are elected because some believes that they will provide good governance and the administration will guide people to achieve more and more prosperity.
But the current ‘Uttar Pradesh’ administration is going in exactly the opposite way (It’s going on for quite a long time). Its look like they are more interested in building stone and metal statues of BSP founder, Chief Minister Mayavati and B.R Ambedkar, than solving the problem of Dalit women who were continued to be victims of rapes and other atrocities. According to National Crime Records Bureau the number of rape cases involving Dalit women in UP were 375, the highest in the country. No one knows how many cases are not even reached the FIR’s of Police. In fact in the latest report of National Commission for Scheduled Castes claims that cases of atrocities against Dalit’s are highest in UP followed by Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. It is to be remembered that UP is currently ruled by a CM who came to power as the champion of Dalit cause but it looks like it may ends up in statue cause.
What Mayavati didn’t able to do in UP is breaking the caste structure of the state, which is heavily anchored on the caste superiority. I think B.R Ambedkar and BSP’s founder will be more happy if she is going to do something for the upliftment of poor and Dalit. The recent allocation of 500 crore over and above the hundreds of crore already spend on the statue programs is certainly an unwanted move. Let’s stop this exercise once and for all. We don’t want statue wars – this is not only applicable for Mayavathi but also for all other politicians too. We can build statues after majority of Indians were able stand on their own.
For now please stop this statue budgets, instead build infrastructure and provide education to the rural masses. It is her responsibility to endure the well being of the people of the state. She have to protect them from atrocities due to the birth in lower caste (Anyway its not in their control). She also have to make sure that the poor people are able get enough food and education. Otherwise Ambedkar is not going to smile even if she made all the beautification in his atatue.
Sajeev.
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