Is world’s tallest status really “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas”?
World’s tallest Statute doesn’t thrill me, frankly. People in favour of it argue that Sardar Patel integrated 562 princely states into one India so he deserve a statue and the people against claim that in the same money of $400 million, 60 grand hospitals could have been built, 2 in each sate. People in favour of it argue that if no money was to be spent than no statue in the world could have been built and history would be lost. TIME magazine covered crowds of displaced villagers, landless farmers and rural tribes on 31st October who shouted slogans and tore down posters of the statue against what they see a colossal waste of money. Anjali Trivedi of Bloomberg wrote “The cost was equivalent to around 90 percent of the central government’s annual budget for the skill development and entrepreneurship ministry; double that of the ministry of shipping; almost as much as the biotech department’s planned spending. The amount could have irrigated 40,000 hectares of land, while all that cement and concrete could have been used to pave decrepit roads that cause thousands of deaths every year.” Hundreds of anonymous comments abused Anjali for writing what she felt. Some people blamed she is sitting in the coziness of foreign countries, some people wrote the data she gave is wrong and biased, some people said she has left India for her own good. I think a truth saying journalist should be prepared to tolerate this tomato hit on her face. Bachi Kakaria wrote today: “The iron man is clad in irony. His statue of Unity is the flamboyant statement of the most divisive PM of post partition India.”
As teenagers we don’t like history. What we experience is death of our soldiers in the hands of terrorists at Pakistan border which was India before partition. Young women are becoming widow every day. Their Infants haven’t seen their martyr father even for once after their birth. If unity of India is complete as claimed, then why so much blood is spilling every single day! Why Pakistan was allowed to be created? Why Kashimr is a bone of contention that is getting bloodier every single day? Even in the heart of India, Maoists are spreading Red Corridor from Nepal to Karnataka. The blame cannot be pin pointed only on Jawaharlal Nehru.
In Gujarat alone there are 8532 cases of crime against woman in the year 2016 reported by National Crime Records Bureau of central government. Gujarat has high female infanticide. 12,000 girls die before 1st birthday. “Girls are not wanted as women’s inferiority is taken for granted. Throughout Gujarat, women are condemned to a life of hard work and only very small percentage become professionals or reaches important positions.” The same is true in politics, where “only two women are ministers.” said Fr Cedric Prakash. Speaking to AsiaNews, who heads Prashant, a Jesuit centre for human rights, justice and peace. There are many sex determination clinics operated illegally. Although liquor is banned, it’s available in plenty illegally.
I think India has enough of this “Statue-mev Jayate” as Bachi Kakaria rewrote our national mantra “Satyamev jayate”. What India needs is vikas as promised by government in 2014; what India needs is recovery of economy, strengthening of rupee, control of fuel price, control of population, employment of youth and a county where there is no female infanticide, no discrimination, no crime against women. I think only then Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s soul will rest in peace, not by the statue of unity but by the real unity of Indian from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari.
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- Is world’s tallest status really “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas”? - November 22, 2018
- Where is the light in the middle of the forest - November 18, 2018