Madras HC order on relocation of statues meets resistance

Chennai, Oct 25 (IANS) In the wake of strong public sentiment, the Tamil Nadu government is having a tough time relocating the statues of political leaders put up illegally from the streets to a "leaders park," in compliance with the Madras High Court's order.

Several political parties and social organisations, especially the Dalit outfits, have vociferously opposed the move.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), a political party working for the cause of the Dalit communities, has come out strongly against the decision.

Speaking to IANS in Erode district, VCK functionary Muruganthan said, "We strongly object to the move of relocating the statues. For instance, a statue of Baba Ambedkar gives us a sense of security and if removed from the entry gate of a colony, people would feel highly insecure."

He added," Statues of prominent people are not just symbols, they represent the struggle they faced for the downtrodden and if they are relocated, the people will turn restless."

The state government has, however, not announced any specific date for relocation. Several organisations are planning to move the High Court challenging the order.

In several rural districts of Tamil Nadu the move can lead to violence, said a source.

A police officer told IANS, "The state intelligence agencies are conducting surveys to get inputs from a cross-section of people on the pitfalls if the statues are relocated. At several junctions, the statues are creating problems for the traffic and hence, relocation is important. But how it affects the social fabric of the Tamil society is being assessed and only then will a final decision be taken as far as I know."