So India Needs Some More Gigantic Statues Right Now?

There is a special quality of leather that nothing under the sun can ever penetrate, and that is called, “the skin of Indian politicians”. Just a few days after the “Statue of Unity”, dubbed as the world’s largest statue was inaugurated in India, criticism, and justified ones, poured in heavily, pointing out why in a country of overall poverty, poor hygiene, poor infrastructure, low employment, and a worrying healthcare system, building a 600 ft statue that cost 3000 crore INR out of the taxpayer’s pocket was not only unnecessary but also a very dangerous indication of where the government’s priorities lie. And yet, democracy’s cries seem to have fallen on deaf ears as India gets ready for yet another gigantic statue upon its breast.

This time it is Rajasthan. A massive Shiva murti is going to be built at Nathdwara, rising at the height of 351 feet. The construction work, which is reportedly 85% finished already, is expected to be over by the coming year and will most likely be inaugurated in March of 2019. Just 50 kilometers away from Udaipur, the statue is being built by the Miraj Group, with a unit of 750 workers approximately. The foundation stone of this murti was laid way back in August 2012 by the then Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot and Murari Bapu, a spiritual leader.

Now, there are several ironies involved in this situation. Firstly, building a colossal statue that certainly costs nothing less than hundreds of crores in a low-income state like Rajasthan and secondly, building a Shiva statue out of all the deities spending this big sum of a money-Shiva, who is known for his lack of materialism and affinity towards simple living. It is almost as if neither the political nor the religious “leaders” did their homework properly before undertaking this huge (both in terms of size and the lack of its necessity) project.

A few questions are guaranteed to arise in anybody’s mind with an iota of common sense (also, faith in the deity in question)- what is Shiva going to do with that giant statue of His? For him, the view is already clear and much wider from Kailash, isn’t it? It was also reported a few days ago, that a similar endeavor is also going to be taken by the UP CM and we might soon see a statue of Sri Ram in Ayodhya too. The public would be really justified, if they ask, why is everyone busy building big statues when half the population in India cannot afford a healthy amount of living space? Why is a lump of concrete and steel of more worth to the government than the people that they were literally hired to look after? And lastly, who is going to save this democracy?

Hopefully, our 351 feet tall Shiva does, because the “Tandav” that these so-called leaders have started, wreaking havoc on our money and our lives, seems to have no end as of now.