LONDON– Just days before Gandhi Jayanti, the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Tavistock Square in London was defaced with anti-India graffiti, prompting swift condemnation from the Indian High Commission and a police investigation.
In a statement, the High Commission of India described the act as “shameful” and an attack on Gandhi’s ideals of peace and non-violence. “This is not just vandalism, but a violent attack on the idea of non-violence, three days before the International Day of Non-Violence, and on the legacy of the Mahatma,” the statement read. Officials said they are working with local authorities to ensure the monument is restored to its “original dignity.”
The Metropolitan Police and Camden Council confirmed they have opened an investigation.
The bronze statue, which depicts Gandhi in a seated meditative posture, has been the centerpiece of Gandhi Jayanti commemorations in London since its unveiling in 1968. Sculpted by Fredda Brilliant with the support of the India League, the monument pays tribute to Gandhi’s years at University College London. Its plinth is inscribed: “Mahatma Gandhi, 1869–1948.”
Each year, flowers and renditions of Gandhi’s favorite hymns are offered at the site on October 2. The date is also globally recognized by the United Nations as the International Day of Non-Violence.
Tavistock Square, often called London’s “peace park,” is home to several memorials, including a cherry tree dedicated to Hiroshima victims, a field maple commemorating the UN’s International Year of Peace in 1986, and a granite memorial to conscientious objectors unveiled in 1995.
The desecration of the Gandhi statue has angered the Indian community and unsettled many others, given the square’s wider symbolism as a space devoted to peace and reconciliation. (Source: IANS)
