Controversy Over Proposed Gandhi Statue at California Capitol
West Sacramento, April 24, 2010 – A small group of Indians gathered at a West Sacramento hotel on Saturday to plan the installation of a life-size Gandhi statue on the grounds of the California state capitol in Sacramento. Sham Goyal, the UC Davis plant scientist who led the meeting, described the approximately 20 Indians, which included Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs, as “hand-picked” for the project. He proudly described his idea as the first time in the world that a Gandhi statue would be placed at a state capitol.
The proposed statue would require approval from the state legislature. Goyal explained plans to ask several state senators and assemblymembers, including both Republicans and Democrats, to sponsor a bill for the statue. He also suggested several prominent locations, including the high-profile north lawn which is easily visible to drivers on the adjacent street. October 2, which is the date of Gandhi’s birthday and is commonly termed “Gandhi Jayanti,” was proposed as a tentative deadline for unveiling the statue.
When a Caucasian audience member asked about potential opposition to the statue, Goyal confidently responded that there would be none. However, Paal Singh of Stockton soon raised his objections by quoting Mayawati, the world famous Dalit leader of Uttar Pradesh who blames Gandhi for India’s caste problems. In 2007, she sad that Gandhi “divided Indian society into two categories – the weaker sections and upper castes.” The debate became very heated when Goyal called Mayawati a “Harijan” stating: “If she is not grateful to Gandhi, then India would be better off if she was dead.”
Singh recommended a statue of B. R. Ambedkar or Bhagat Singh instead. Goyal ridiculed Ambedkar, insisting that “nobody knows him,” and dismissed Bhagat Singh as a “terrorist.” Other audience members shouted at Singh to stop talking, saying they did not want to discuss if a statue should be installed but only how. The meeting soon turned into a ruckus, and one man even walked off, muttering to Goyal as he left: “This is a waste of time.”
Some audience members listened intently while Singh described how Gandhi instigated the segregation of Indians from black natives at the Durban post office in South Africa. The building had two doors—one for whites and the other for blacks and Indians—but Gandhi successfully demanded a third door solely for use by Indians. Goyal called the claim a “lie,” but Singh passionately announced: “If that’s not true, I’ll shave my beard.” He counseled several curious listeners to visit www.Gandhism.net, a website which uses Gandhi’s own writings to reveal a shameful side of the so-called “Mahatma.”
Goyal said Sacramento needs the statue because Gandhi is an “icon of peace,” but admitted that there is already a World Peace Rose Garden on the capitol grounds. However, an elderly Indian man exposed the real purpose for demanding a statue, calling the issue “a matter of pride for India.” Yet several audience members were left wondering if it was wise to honor a man accused of so many offenses, including racism against blacks, hostility towards Indian minorities and support for segregation.