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NEW DELHI: In what was described as a “magnificent tribute,” British Prime Minister David Cameron along with Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unveiled a new statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Parliament Square. "This statue is a magnificent tribute to one of the most towering figures in the history of world politics and by putting Mahatma Gandhi in this famous square we are giving him an eternal home in our country,” the British Prime Minister said.
Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was in attendance. As was Gandhi’s grandson Gopal Gandhi. But within hours of the unveiling a controversy broke out at home with Tushar Gandhi, Gandhi’s great grandson, saying in a post on Facebook: “Today in Parliament Square London the unveiled the statue of Ben Kingsley, not Bapu.” Tushar Gandhi was referring to the English actor who portrayed Mahatma Gandhi in the acclaimed 1982 biographical drama film, “Gandhi.”
Similar posts appeared on Facebook, supplemented by shares and Tweets, and comments that endorsed Tushar Gandhi’s observation. Indeed the statue seemed to have been modelled after a taller and healthier Gandhi. Many agreed, but some did not finding refuge in sarcasm.
Judge for yourself
The statue:
The statue’s stature and the shape of the face have led many to agree that it indeed resembles Ben Kingsley. Pictured below, Ben Kingsley as Gandhi on the left, Mahatma Gandhi on the right.
Tushar Gandhi’s statement created quite a stir, with many taking to social media to sound off on the issue. Many agreed that the statue bore a closer resemblance to Ben Kingsley than to Mahatma Gandhi:
Several others however thought that the comparison was unfounded:
