London: A new statue of Mahatma Gandhi will be inaugurated in the UK city of Manchester later this year after a local council approved plans for it as a symbol of peace on Friday. The 9-foot high bronze sculpture by Indian artist Ram V Sutar will be installed outside Manchester Cathedral in the heart of the city to mark the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the Indian Nation in November.
The Mahatma Gandhi Statue Project, an initiative of Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur (SRMD), a worldwide spiritual movement headquartered in India, had submitted the proposal as epitomising the city's resilience in the aftermath of the suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande at Manchester Arena in May 2017, an Islamic State (ISIS) claimed attack which claimed 23 lives.
"Following the 2017 Arena attack, Manchester's unique civic pride displayed the values of non-violence and compassion. We are inspired by the people of Manchester for their strength, decency and community in the face of this unparalleled tragedy," said Manthan Taswala, spokesperson for SRMD UK.
- Aditi Khanna
