Iconic Gandhi statue relocated to Prerna Sthal
The iconic statue of Mahatma Gandhi has been relocated away from its prominent position in front of Parliament House to a corner of the Lok Sabha complex where a dedicated area, Prerna Sthal (place of inspiration), is being developed to host all statues in the Parliament complex.
The iconic statue of Mahatma Gandhi has been relocated away from its prominent position in front of Parliament House to a corner of the Lok Sabha complex where a dedicated area, Prerna Sthal (place of inspiration), is being developed to host all statues in the Parliament complex.
Statues of BR Ambedkar and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj have also been shifted to the Prerna Sthal close to the outer perimeter of the complex beside the Parliament Library.
The relocation of the statues is significant as many lawmakers over the years had staged protests near the Gandhi and Ambedkar statues. In the last 10 years, many sit-in demonstrations were organised near the Gandhi statue while Opposition leaders had once gathered near the Ambedkar statue and read out from the Constitution to celebrate the Constitution Day, while boycotting the official programme led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Statues of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Gandhi, and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar have just been removed from their places of prominence in front of the Parliament House. This is atrocious,” Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh posted on X.
The Lok Sabha secretariat claimed that due to location (of the statues) at different places in the Parliament Complex, visitors were not able to view these statues conveniently. “For this reason, all these statues are being respectfully installed in a grand Prerna Sthal in the Parliament House Complex itself. This Prerna Sthal is being developed in such a way that the visitors coming to visit the Parliament complex could easily see the statues of these great leaders and take inspiration from their lives and philosophy,” the secretariat said in a press release.
“In this Prerna Sthal, arrangements are also being made to provide detailed information to the visitors through modern technology regarding the lives and contributions of our great freedom fighters so that the people coming to visit them could get inspiration from their lives and thoughts. They can also pay their humble tributes to great leaders at this place of reverence,” it added.
The Lok Sabha secretariat also argued that statues have been shifted inside the Complex in the past as well. “It is clear that the statue of any great leader has not been removed from the Parliament House complex. Their statues are being installed systematically and respectfully inside the Parliament House Complex,” the press release said.
Ahead of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha in June, the Parliament Complex is getting a major facelift. A number of statues scattered around the complex will be shifted to a prominent area, some of the walls inside the complex would be demolished to create more open areas and the landscaping of the entire premises would be done with the new building in focus. As per the plan, a golf cart station will come up next to the new library building and most of the lawmakers would be urged not to drive their vehicles inside the complex but to use the golf carts.