New Delhi, October 2: This year on 2nd October, the nation will celebrate the 149th birth anniversary of the Father of the nation- Mahatma Gandhi. While the nation witnesses several spectacular events on Gandhi's birth anniversary today, reports inform that a statue of Gandhiji at ‘Gyarah Murti’ in Chanakyapuri has been without its iconic round spectacles for almost 18 years now. According to a report by Hindustan Times, this year Bapu will celebrate his 149th birth anniversary with his missing spectacles and just as an unsolved diary case in Delhi police files. Gandhi Jayanti 2018: President Inaugurates gandhi.gov.in Web Portal to Commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary of Father of The Nation.

Going back to the time, one morning in December 1999, a gardener working in the lawns of Mother Theresa Crescent noticed that Gandhiji's statue of the iconic Dandi March looked different. He later realized that the eyewear was missing. The incident was reported to Chanakyapuri police station by maintenance agency of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), but instead of filing an FIR police turned the case into a diary entry. Indian Railways Not to Mark Mahatma Gandhi’s Birth Anniversary As Vegetarian Days.

On Gandhi's 150th Anniversary today, police have forgotten the complaint. Manohar Lal Gossain, a gardener who spotted the theft said, “The spectacles were carved in stone and were attached to the statue. They had been broken from the sides. I don’t remember more details, it’s been a long time.”

Retired police officer Srikanth Yadav, who was working at Chanakyapuri police station at the time said, " Attempts were made to catch the people, but we could not trace anybody. However, a permanent police picket was set up at the junction near the Gyarah Murti to stop such incidents from happening in the future,” he said while speaking to Hindustan Times.

NDMC officials while defending themselves said that four attempts were made to replace the original eyewear, but every time the spectacles were stolen again. While the claims are not verified as no police complaint was filed.

The statue of historic salt satyagraha was created by renowned sculptor Deviprasad Roychowdhury. Along with Gandhiji's statue, there are ten more statues which depict India's diversity.

This is not the first incident of theft that has been reported. In several cases, eyewear of Gandhiji was stolen. Earlier, the Gandhi statue in Lucknow University stood without spectacles for around 36 years before they were replaced in 2016.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 02, 2018 09:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).