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A 9-feet bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi by noted artist Ram V. Sutar was on Monday installed in the popular Medieval Quarter of Manchester, making it the sixth city in the United Kingdom to feature his statue in an iconic location.
Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, was among several dignitaries at the unveiling ceremony attended by several people outside the Manchester Cathedral. At 9 feet, it is one of the tallest Gandhi statues outside India.
The project to install the statue of the apostle of non-violence in a city hit by terror attack in May 2017 was initiated by the charity organisation Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur (SRMD). Shrimad Rajchandra was one of Gandhi’s mentors.
Supported by the Manchester Cathedral, Manchester City Council, the Manchester India Partnership and the High Commission of India, the statue unveiling event was attended by
Richard Leese, leader of the Manchester City Council, David Walker, bishop of Manchester, and Rakesh Jhaveri of SRMD, besides representatives of religious and non-religious organisations across Manchester and beyond.
A spokesperson of SRMD UK said: “Following the 2017 Arena attack, Manchester’s unique civic pride displayed the values of non-violence and compassion. We are inspired by the people of Manchester for their strength, decency and community in the face of this unparalleled tragedy.”
Leese added: “This statue will find a welcome home in Manchester. In the turbulent times we live in, his legacy of peace is one we can all appreciate and reflect on.”
According to Andrew Cowan, CEO of Manchester Airport and chair of the Manchester India Partnership, the statue is the latest example of the ‘living bridge’ between Greater Manchester and India.
“A huge amount of work has gone into forging closer ties between the two since the formation of the Manchester India Partnership 18 months ago. I would like to congratulate all those involved in the Mahatma Gandhi statue project, it is a welcome addition to our city and is sure to prove popular with everyone who visits the city centre in the years ahead.”
For one who doggedly fought against the British for India’s freedom, Gandhi is perhaps the most prominent non-European individual to figure prominently in public spaces in not only Britain but also across Europe.
Two of his most prominent statues are in London: one in a sitting meditative posture in Tavistock Square and the other in a standing position in Parliament Square. He shares the space overlooking parliament with not only his long-time rival Churchill, who once called him a ‘half-naked fakir’, but also another leader whom he challenged, Jan Smuts of South Africa.
Manchester is the latest city to have a Gandhi statue, besides London: Tavistock Square (1968), Parliament Square (2015); Saughton Park, Edinburgh (1997); Museum Quarter, Hull (2004); Belgrave Road, Leicester (2009); and Cardiff Bay, Cardiff (2017).
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