mid-day Opinion: Clean and maintain memorials to our heroes

File pic

After an April report in this paper, a statue honouring former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in Cheetah Camp, Trombay, which had been poorly maintained, has been finally restored. This is because of the efforts of residents and the local MLA.

This paper highlighted how locals had the statue repainted and ensured light fixtures were installed, instead of waiting for the BMC to act. The residents are now trying to get a grill installed around the statue as a security measure to prevent it from being defiled.

A local cited how residents had worked to beautify the spot.

While this is about one particular statue, there are several in the city that need attention after a while. While in this case, it is the locals who became saviours and cleaned up the spot several times, we witness locals who themselves make that space unclean.

The fencing around a statue is often used as a grill/clothes hanger, and we see clothes drying in the sun in this space, which doubles up as some sort of clothes line. Less often, we will see some graffiti carved into the space near the statue or wall alongside. Some of this may be a political statement. At other times, it is just some inane sketch or scrawl, painted over, or some kind of symbol. This is unrelated to the statue.

Most often, we see the place littered with plastic packs or cartons, leftovers and general rubbish. Passersby use this place as a receptacle to discard their items, sauntering on merrily after throwing whatever they wish to.

Do not defile, dirty or even desecrate. Cleanliness and maintenance are the highest forms of respect.