Collapse of the statute and after

The collapse of the 35-foot-tall statue of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj erected by the Indian Navy in the Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra may be attributed to structural flaws but its potential political fallout has not gone unnoticed.

The statue was iconic as it was by far the tallest to be installed to celebrate his memory and was unveiled by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi only nine months ago.

Though strong oceanic winds and inclement weather may have contributed to its fall, there is no gainsaying that it was constructed under the watch and supervision of the State’s Public Works Department (PWD) and the state government can scarcely find a fall guy in the Navy to save itself from the repercussions.

Statues like other infrastructural works, are built to endure vagaries of weather and have some permanence on the landscape. Early reports mention the use of substandard nuts and bolts which could not resist the corrosive impact of sea winds leading to its fall.

A statue of Shivaji, he being a revered figure for most Indians, especially those in Maharashtra, deserved a careful planning and meticulous check of quality of the work and material used. Perhaps much of these concerns were given a go-by by those who dealt with the execution of the work.

It will be in the fitness of things if the Maha Yuti alliance governing the state and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi avoid sparring over the issue and focus on substantial issues coming up before the electorate in the forthcoming elections.