A proposed statue of Mahatma Gandhi has sparked debate in the small Northern California City of Davis.
Mahatma Gandhi is a figure recognized around the world for his role in non-violent protests and as a leader of India’s mid-20th century independence from British rule.
In February of 2016, a Davis community group proposed placing the Gandhi statue and the city approved it, Davis Mayor Pro Tempore Brett Lee said.
The project is being paid for by the government of India, which has donated a six-foot-tall, 900 pound brass statue of Gandhi to be erected in Davis’ Central Park. The project is a part of a program funded by the Hindu Nationalist Party of India, which is funding similar projects to erect statues of Gandhi all over the world.
However, public outcry both for and against the statue came at a recent Davis City Council meeting that lasted two and a half hours, Lee said.
Steven Macias is the Outreach Coordinator with a Lathrop, Ca. group called the Organization for Minorities of India (OMI), which is against putting up the statue.
Gandhi is a symbol of oppression to many of the Indian people he represents, Macias said. To place a statue in a public space would be offensive, Macias said.
He explained that placing a statue of Gandhi in a public setting would be similar to placing a confederate flag, Macias said.
Bhajan Singh is also with OMI and says Gandhi is not the person history has made him out to be.
"This guy is nothing to do with peace, he beleived in violence, he was a sexist, he beleived in racism," Singh said.
Madhavi Sunder is a professor at the UC Davis Law School and a member of the Davis Board of Education. She says the accusations against Gandhi are unfounded and coming from members outside the Davis community.
"Mahatman Gandhi has been an international symbol of fighting for justice and equality for all people through peaceful means," Sunder said.
Sunder said the statue should be a welcomed gift for Davis to display proudly.
On Tuesday, August 23 the Davis City Council considered putting the statue placement on hold until more public comment could be heard, Lee said. In a split decision, the council voted to go ahead with the project.
On October 2, the internationally recognized day of nonviolence and Gandhi’s birthday, the statue will be placed in Davis Central Park.