Statues without substance

No matter the 11th-century Hindu saint Sri Ramanujacharya propagated the idea of equality in all the aspects of life including that of religion, caste and creed, the present circumstances in the country imply that there is a dire need of imbibing core values through proper education and not necessarily by erecting statues of people who stood for fundamentals of life, ensuring people are treated equally, without any bias.
The recent ‘Statue of Equality’ that has come up in Hyderabad was unveiled by the Prime Minister during his visit is yet another after the ‘Statue of Unity’ in Gujarat. However, the explicit circumstances are being brazenly ignored while the Government is busy putting in place an array of statues available in the country.
If such statues are being unveiled as a mark of respect, aiming at commemorating great personalities, then there is a need to understand that the Government, rather the individuals of the country, should strive for upholding the core principles which these great people stood for.
If Sri Ramanujacharya stood for equality across the spectrum, shouldn’t the Government strive for setting an example of equality across the country? Shouldn’t it make sure that the younger generation of the country is taught to respect people without considering which religion, caste, creed they belong to?
While the system has limited everything to photo-ops, publicity, it is losing its grip on the matters occurring on the ground. Take, for example, the case of Karnataka Schools. They are sending out warning signals; pointing out that the system has failed in disseminating the core values of Humanity and its preoccupation with the rampant statue making.
In Karnataka, or for any other place in the country, if the Government is not willing to come in and eliminate the barriers that are getting stronger with every passing day, through education, then these statues of great men, who stood for great values, carry no importance, no weight and stand for nothing.