That political parties lock horns in order to lay claim to the political and cultural legacy of historical icons and build their own partisan narratives around their ideologies is not new (“Nothing can stop Shivaji memorial project: Fadnavis”, Dec.24). The Bharatiya Janata Party centred its politics around symbolism to appropriate the legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and projected a politically unsound thesis to convert its own prejudices into principles disguised as the “Statue of Unity”. Now, by laying the foundation stone for the “Shiv Smarak”, the Prime Minister has seemingly conveyed a subliminal message. But the costs of statue politics go beyond their unveiling ceremonies. In his address to the Constituent Assembly, B.R. Ambedkar cautioned against following the path of devotion or hero-worship, regardless of how great or tall the leader is.
Shreyans Jain,
New Delhi
