Statue politics was at its peak in Goa when some people in the name of love for Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj erected his statue at Sao Jose de Areal in South Goa. That statue was certainly not worthy of the life of the great Maratha King, whose thoughts were far more progressive than today's regressive political thinking.
And when a person of the stature of a minister – in this instance, it was the outspoken Subhash Phal Desai, the Social Welfare Minister in the BJP government – came to inaugurate the allegedly illegal statue, it certainly was not a good sign for democracy.
That Phal Desai had to face the wrath of the people, speaks of the angst of the latter for not taking them into confidence before installing the statue. Also, the figurine, which has been installed in an isolated place away from human habitation, raises many questions.
If politicians and activists are to be believed, the statue of Shivaji has been put up at this isolated and elevated location in Areal, which raises suspicions. A 'kachha' path has been created to reach the place and this is believed to have been done to pave the way for a road and later get legal sanctity for it.
That Phal Desai had to face the wrath of the people, speaks of the angst of the latter for not taking them into confidence before installing the statue.
Over the last few months, Goa has seen statues of Shivaji being set up at prominent places, including the latest one in Porvorim. The Areal statue, however, is placed several meters away from the main road where no one can see it. Why is it so?
Without getting into the historical relevance of Chhatrapati Shivaji to Sao Jose de Areal, it is important to highlight the issue here to warn people against those trying to foster trouble in this peaceful village to reap political dividends.
There is something called law, which doesn't appear to be working in Goa. Or else, let us look all around and see whether it really is. If the people of Sao Jose de Areal have highlighted an illegality, this means they are aware of the law and their rights as citizens to oppose a wrongdoing.
In a democratic set-up, the rule of the law has to prevail and legislators are duty-bound to uphold it. But what we saw in Sao Jose de Areal was a minister using his political mandate to inaugurate an illegal statue of a great leader, who always held and had a strong sense of respect for justice.
In a democratic set-up, the rule of the law has to prevail and legislators are duty-bound to uphold it.
The inauguration of the statue also brings into question and exposes a political leader's distorted priority. The Areal incident will be interpreted in many ways, but the underlying point here is: will the authorities look into the illegal aspect?
It is but evident that the country, or for that matter Goa, is so very much polarised and when statues like the one in Areal come up, society is further divided. In due course of time, there are chances that the statue may get legal sanctity and those who opposed it could be termed as "others" or even "outsiders".
In Goa, this is just the beginning of statue politics and it is crucial for people to understand and talk about this. People should realise that a leader like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, considered an icon of justice, cannot be used to foster division in society.
In all this melee, do we really think it is the love of Shivaji that prompted the installation of his statue at Areal? This fixation on Shivaij's statues is a story that has certainly not started in Areal. If studied very deeply, it is a narrative, that has its roots deep in Goa's divisive political agenda.
This fixation on Shivaij's statues is a story that has certainly not started in Areal.
Let us not get deceived by the politics of installing lifeless statues that are being used to foster hatred just when the elections are around the corner. Let Goa and the welfare of Goans be the discourse of our politics.
