A statue of a person is generally a physical and symbolic representation of the eminence of the person. A statue can be made out of several materials, ranging from metal (precious/non-precious), wood, concrete, marble, stone, wax, PoP, clay, and many other such things. The size of the statue could range from a few centimeters, in case of miniature figurines, to hundreds of meters, in case of large statues. Statues could be either molded, or carved, or sculpted, amongst other techniques. The cost of the statue would also vary with the kind of material used, the size of the statue, and the method of building/carving, etc.
The very fact that a statue of a person is being installed, means that the person is, or was a notable public figure; a celebrity, a leader (religious/political), an artiste, etc., whose contribution to the place has been significant. And generally, the material used, the amount of money spent, and the size of the statue, would typically indicate the measure of social standing and/or the achievements/contribution of the person in question.
Having said this, I would like to point out today that I am not writing about the achievement or the contribution of the person whose proposed statue is making headlines in Goa these days. I am not countering, nor am I supporting the validity of the (person’s) contributions or the lack thereof.
Whether or not this person has to be honoured with an installation of his statue or not, is not the question here. There will be people who would say that he deserves to be honoured by way of installation of the statue, and there will be many who would vehemently defy that claim, and this argument could well go on forever.
The real question here is: Today, is a Rs 10-crore statue (of whosoever it may be) really the immediate need-of-the-hour in Goa? What social issue/s of the State will this statue solve?
I find it bizarre that this redundant discussion is even passing off as a sensible debate. At best, I find the logic behind this to be outright absurd. Again, I am not challenging the credibility of whether this person’s memory deserves a statue or not; I am only trying hard to find logic and reason in the fact that we are even considering the building and installation of a statue at such a preposterous cost!
That too, especially when there are clearly much more pressing issues such as public infrastructure maintenance, road repairs, installation of basic amenities (public toilets, parking zones, drainages, retaining walls, etc.) in key areas. The State currently looks like it has been hit by a tsunami, with the rains wreaking havoc in the form of flooding of roads and other public areas. And here we are; thinking of building statues worth crores! Astonishing! Just astonishing!
Moreover, there are places in Goa that till date do not have motor-able roads, and I’m sure there will be areas where even electricity hasn’t penetrated yet. There are remote villages where people have to travel (on foot) to get access to potable water. There are poverty-stricken tribes within Goa who are not sure whether they will be fortunate enough to get two squared meals on any given day. Children walk to school bare-foot, to sit on the floor in their classrooms due to lack of basic requirements like desks. Some public schools in many rural areas in Goa are not even fit to be used as pig-sties.
Public transport in Goa is as good as non-existent in many places. Very recently I came across a picture of a Kadamba bus without a driver-side door. Many bus-stands look like they are a set of a movie meant to portray the surface of the moon under rainfall. Beaches are strewn with garbage. And the State on the whole, is choking from various kinds of pollution!
The more I write, the more is coming to mind. But I guess you got my point!
Honoring a person’s memory with a statue is a noble thing and all; but let us think to ourselves: When there are so many other ways to put the Rs 10 crores to better use, where the public on the whole will be benefited, does it really make any sense to immerse that amount of public money (at this stage) into a statue which at best will collect dust and grime over a period of time, while contributing zero value to the people?
I do not get it! Are we really that thick-headed? Or are we pretending?
Should we even be discussing whether the statue should be built or not? If the rhetoric is not apparent to us, then I think somewhere down the line we have lost our sense of reason and logic! And the sooner we start looking for it, the better!
And people who still think that a Rs 10-crore statue in Goa, of who-so-ever it may be, is a good idea, should start collecting private funds from like-minded people and build the statue at a private location owned by one of the like-minded people!
Public money belongs to the people, and I consider it morally irresponsible to waste people’s money to satisfy the egos of some few people who strangely assume that they are free to do as they wish with public funds!
No Sir! At least not on my watch!
(The author is the former manager of the Goa Animal Welfare Trust.)
