Apostle of peace walks tall in Inspiration Park
He is India’s most famous citizen, his lessons on
non-violence and civil disobedience inspired freedom and civil right movements
across the world; Mohandas Gandhi, or Mahatma (saint) as he is called, is now
immortalized at Inspiration Garden of the Faculty of Education and
Humanities at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus.
The bronze statue, gifted by the Government of India by
the High Commissioner of India to Jamaica, Mohinder Grover, encapsulates Gandhi’s
persona and simplicity.
Sculpted by Indian sculptor Anil Sutar, the lifelike 6ft.
4 inches high statue has Gandhi in a brisk walk pose - clutching his tall
walking stick, a shawl draped over his shoulders and a pocket watch dangling
from the loin cloth.
Sutar has, through his intricate detailing, to capture
the mahatma’s simplicity, exuding the aura of the man himself. As the rays of
the sun fall on the silhouette, Gandhi’s figurine manages to radiate a sense of
peace and his striding pose reminisces of the constant move for non-violence
and equality.
The figurine of Gandhi, emulates his trademark walk and
resilience; he and his followers on March 12, 1930, set out on a nonviolent
protest against the British salt monopoly in colonial India. This historic
walk, called the Dandi march covered 240 miles in 23 days.
This statue of India’s ‘father of the nation’, sits atop
a pedestal with his quotes inscribed on three sides, is an exact replica of the
statue, which also was sculpted by Sutar, at Ebenezer Baptist Church in
Atlanta, Georgia, where Dr Martin Luther King Jr was the pastor.
The statue was unveiled on July 12, in a ceremony
attended by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, the Indian High Commissioner, Principal
of the University of the West Indies professor Gordon Shirley among others.
“Gandhi’s ideals represent, manifest, and vividly articulate the finest expression of humanism,” said Grover. “His greatness lay not
only in his philosophy but also his ability to translate his beliefs into
actions.”
Bapu (or father, one of the names Gandhi is called in
India), shares the space in the courtyard with Heaven and Earth by Basil Watson
and The Woman with the Carnival Skirt by Denise Forges.
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Gandhi perhaps has the distinction of being the only leader in the world, who never held any office, but has touched the hearts and souls of millions across the world. There is perhaps no country in the world where his statue or bust is installed or a road named after him.
His words and persona are now etched in timeless glory, adorning
the UWI campus, serving as an inspiration and also eptiomising one of greatest
human being to walk on earth.
Gandhi is the India as Bob Marley is to Jamaica. They both touched lives without holding office. Excellent article
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