Mahatma Gandhi’s Vandalised Statue Divides Indian-Americans

 As India remembers Gandhi on his 73rd death anniversary, the news from US disheartened the Indian-Americans. A 6ft-tall Gandhi statue was vandalised in the US Central Park of the City of Davis in northern California. The statue was ripped from the ankle, half of the face was missing and looked distorted.

The officials have claimed that the miscreants might be Gandhi haters and destroyed the statue to express the same.

A report from Davis’ local news report confirmed that the statue was ripped early morning on January 27th. The city councilman Lucas Frerichs stated that the statue will be safely stored and it will again be placed after being renovated.

Lucas further stated “The statue stands for a reason here at Davis and is seen as a cultural icon to a portion of Davis population.”

The act gained controversies on social media dividing the Gandhi followers and haters.

Various Indo-US groups including the Friends of India Society International (FISI), Hindu American Foundation (HAF) have demanded FBI investigation and department of Homeland security to look into the matter.

Friends of India Society International member Guarang Desai has claimed that the statue might be vandalized by minority groups namely OFMI.

Organisation for Minorities in India (OFMI) was founded in 2006 to advance individual liberties of Christians, Buddhists, Dalits, Muslims, Sikhs, and all Mulnivasi people of South Asia by encouraging secularism, progressive human rights, liberation of oppressed peoples, and universal human dignity.

The same organisation opposed the installation of Gandhi’s statue in the Davis city on 2nd October 2016. The statue that was a token of love from the Indian government to US was then opposed by the protestors who demeaned the speeches of Mayor Robb Davis, the then state senator Louis Wolk and India’s Consel General in San Francisco Venkatesan Ashok voicing about the imposition of Gandhi’s statue.

The OFMI also participated in a campaign the same year when they demanded hindering the Davis school to display India and flourish its culture. The group however was successful after the California Department of Education accepted the allegations and removed India’s context from the textbooks.

After the incident, Davis Business and Finance chairman has claimed that the act just did not demeaned Mahatma Gandhi’s reputation but will also affect India-US ties as it broke the peace between both the countries.

Former Davis Business and Finance Commission head and HAS Chairman today demanded introspection of the 28th January incident saying “We condemn this cowardly desecration and call upon the Department of Homeland Security and FBI to investigate this hate crime, as it was likely done with the intention of intimidating the Indian American community.”

The US Americans have demanded utter investigation into the case.

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