The new statue of Mahatma Gandhi

[manclad]

The new statue of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled near to Manchester Cathedral yesterday.
Gandhi had visited Manchester on his way to see Lancashire mill workers in 1931.
Personally I think he is very well equipped to deal with the rigours and dangers presented by living on the street in 21st Century Manchester.
Made completely from bronze,he is resistant to all forms of edged weapons and therefore doesn't need to wear a stab vest.
He has a 4 ft long staff in his right hand,so can beat the fuck out of anybody who tries to kick off with him,or even worse tries to piss on him.
And perhaps most important of all he is wrapped in a huge cloak. When you are going to be out in the open 24/7 and at the mercy of the Manchester weather(i.e. pissing it down all night)having a nice bit of cloth to shelter under is most important.
And being non-ferrous he won't turn into rust even if he stays in the same place for the next 100 years.

 

[Barcon]

The new statue of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled near to Manchester Cathedral yesterday.
Gandhi had visited Manchester on his way to see Lancashire mill workers in 1931.
Personally I think he is very well equipped to deal with the rigours and dangers presented by living on the street in 21st Century Manchester.
Made completely from bronze,he is resistant to all forms of edged weapons and therefore doesn't need to wear a stab vest.
He has a 4 ft long staff in his right hand,so can beat the fuck out of anybody who tries to kick off with him,or even worse tries to piss on him.
And perhaps most important of all he is wrapped in a huge cloak. When you are going to be out in the open 24/7 and at the mercy of the Manchester weather(i.e. pissing it down all night)having a nice bit of cloth to shelter under is most important.
And being non-ferrous he won't turn into rust even if he stays in the same place for the next 100 years.

And nobody will be able to stick fridge magnets on him.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

It's the weirdest statue commission since they put Michael Jackson outside Craven Cottage.

But it's a nice gesture. Perhaps we should return the favour by sending them a statue of Churchill.

 

[oakiecokie]

It's the weirdest statue commission since they put Michael Jackson outside Craven Cottage.

But it's a nice gesture. Perhaps we should return the favour by sending them a statue of Churchill.

Why the fuck would we send them a statue of a fucking dog !!

 

[MCFCTrick]

Apparently, in the mid 80's, he used to drink in the Lass, before going on the pull in The Conti .... in later years he went to Bookbinders (aka Fuckfinders), where he still looked younger and dressed better than most all the 'laydees' in there.

Well deserved.

 

[Metal Biker]

Didn't he once refer to Indians as being "racially superior to Africans"?

Just seems an odd choice to praise him like this whilst ignoring other aspects of his beliefs.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Didn't he once refer to Indians as being "racially superior to Africans"?

Just seems an odd choice to praise him like this whilst ignoring other aspects of his beliefs.

Yeah, he was pretty racist against Africans.

This argument has come up a lot against statues of historical figures because particularly if you go back far enough, you can find something objectionable about anyone you might want to make a statue of. Florence Nightingale was against women being doctors. Abraham Lincoln owned slaves. Mother Teresa accepted money from dictators. The problem with statues generally is that there's not a lot of scope for praising someone for their great deeds while acknowledging that they weren't perfect. And is the fact that someone wasn't perfect a reason not to honour the good things they did with a statue?

 

[roman totale]

As usual, Christopher Hitchens can be relied upon to counter the revisionism...
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/308550/

tl;dr Ghandi’s ostensible good deeds and high moral behaviours were, in fact, anything but.

 

[Metal Biker]

Yeah, he was pretty racist against Africans.

This argument has come up a lot against statues of historical figures because particularly if you go back far enough, you can find something objectionable about anyone you might want to make a statue of. Florence Nightingale was against women being doctors. Abraham Lincoln owned slaves. Mother Teresa accepted money from dictators. The problem with statues generally is that there's not a lot of scope for praising someone for their great deeds while acknowledging that they weren't perfect. And is the fact that someone wasn't perfect a reason not to honour the good things they did with a statue?

If the statue is to commemorate a specific incident they are being heralded for (such as Nelson for the Battle of Trafalgar, which WAS crucial, not Nelson for any other aspects of his, ehem, questionable career) then I can understand.

But commemorating Ghandi in this way, for what exactly? Because he came to Manchester once? A racist, Indian supremacist is being praised in Manchester about cotton or something? For me it's all aboiut what is the statue meant to be commemorating. The individual or an individual aspect, because if MCC is trying to make out Ghandi was some altruistic, humanitarian OOH LORDY have they got it wide of the mark!

He is exceptionally significant to India, Indian citizens and the independence movement there to end British Colonial oppression; however...

 

[Turks Head Again]

It's the weirdest statue commission since they put Michael Jackson outside Craven Cottage.

But it's a nice gesture. Perhaps we should return the favour by sending them a statue of Churchill.

Or perhaps Lord Clive ?