Lakshadweep to get first Mahatma statue after first bid fizzled out a decade ago

lakshadweep-gandhi

Kochi: For the first time in history, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi will be unveiled in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will unveil the statue of the Mahatma at Kavaratti island, the capital of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, as part of the Gandhi Jayanti celebrations on Saturday.

A decade ago, an attempt was made to install a Gandhi statue in the islands. In 2010, a statue was made in Kerala to be installed in Lakshadweep. The plan was to install the statue on October 2 at Kavaratti.

Janardhanan, a Thiruvananthapuram resident, was drafted as the sculptor and the Lakshadweep administration had spent Rs 2 lakh for the statue. The statue was taken to the Lakshadweep Administration Office, Willingdon Island, Kochi, on a lorry and from there to the Kavaratti in a ship two days before Gandhi Jayanti. But the statue could not be offloaded onto the island. Due to the opposition from some quarters, the authorities backed off from installing the statue on the island at the last minute.

The sculptor who had made even the concrete base for installing the statue had to return disappointed.

Janardhanan said that the then Collector had told him that there had been some problems and that the statue would be installed at a later date.

As it could not be offloaded from the ship, the statue was on a ‘voyage’ for several months. The statue, which was on the ship sailing along the Kochi-Lakshadweep route, was then taken to the Lakshadweep administration's office. Though attempts were made to install the statue later, the inexplicable opposition continued.

The statue remained at the office, gathering dust. But Janardhanan does not know if the statue that will be unveiled in Lakshadweep on Saturday is the one made by him.

The sculptor said that he has not got any notification from the Lakshadweep authorities in this regard.

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