Pallavi Aiyar Posted online: Sunday, September 11, 2005 at 0307 hours IST Updated: Sunday, September 11, 2005 at 0533 hours IST
Beijing, Sept 10: Peering out from behind his characteristic glasses with a look of gentle wistfulness, the statue of Mahatma Gandhi is at odds with its stern-looking neighbouring busts of Poland’s Paderewski and Cuba’s Jose Julian Marti Perez.
Unveiled on Friday by home minister Shivraj Patil in one of Beijing’s more popular parks, the Mahatma’s sculpture is the first publicly displayed statue of an Indian leader in Beijing and is symbolic of the increasing warmth in the relationship across the Himalayas.
An exhibition of photographs tracing Mahatma Gandhi’s life from his student days in England to his last days in India simultaneously went on display. Speaking at the occasion, Mr Patil quoted the Mahatma as saying “I look forward to a day when a free India and free China will co-operate together for their own good and for the good of the world.” A message he said had particular resonance now.
The statue’s sculptor, professor Yuan Xikun added, “Gandhi’s heritage is a matter of pride for all of humanity”, and compared the Mahatma’s emphasis on self-control and dedication to that of the Chinese thinker Confucius.
“It feels really nice to have one of our leaders recognised like this finally,” said Mr RK Singh who has lived in Beijing for seven years. “This is a public place, very popular with Chinese and will serve as a constant reminder to them of India,” he enthused.
Esha Jin, a Chinese student of Bharatnatyam who laments the knowledge gap regarding India in the mainland said, “His (Gandhi statue’s) expression of love,tenderness will touch Chinese people.”
Below the statue is a plaque inscribed with one of the Mahatma’s quotations: “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean. If a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean itself does not become dirty.”
