Shimla- The statues of India's revered leaders, Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, stand ‘desecrated’ and marginalised  in a crass touristry shopping carnival  on the historic The Ridge here in this erstwhile summer capital of the dead Raj.

These towering figures hold a special place in the hearts of the people of Himachal Pradesh.

Indira Gandhi, who created Himachal in 1971, has a personal connection to the state as her granddaughter, Priyanka Gandhi, owns a house in Chharabra nearby.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on the other hand, played a crucial role in building the Rohtang Tunnel and providing rural roads to Himachal. He used to visit Prini his home near Manali when he was Prime Minister or twice thereafter.

However, these statues, once raised with great fanfare by the Congress and BJP governments, now stand overshadowed by a shopping carnival and  makeshift exhibition are being held in their premises.

The political elites seem to have lost their sensibilities, showing little concern for the ‘desecration’ or maginalisation of these statues.

The  carnival, which occurs annually, exposes the statues to all kinds of ‘manhandling’ and unpalatable sights  and including trash and leftovers left at their pedestals. 

The statues look like these were raised on tarpaulin of the stalls and iin crisscrossed jungle of wires, and their pedestals have become a site for tourists, mainly junk food eaters, who visit The Ridge throughout the day.

The pedestals are at times strewn with discarded trash and plates and leftovers and stains of food items. The statues silently witness this sacrilege as it seems they donot have their protectors in this capital.

Or else, do they deserve this treatment as statues are dead replicas only, argue others.  

Are they only meant for paying floral tributes during anniversaries and death commemorations?

Political leaders, including the Chief Minister, Governor, and representatives from all parties, come from across the state to pay their respects during birth and death anniversaries,

Do they all these rituals just targeting them for public consumption and political hype?

However, none seem concerned about the rampant ‘sacrilege’ committed by the hordes of visitors or  exhibition organizers over the years.

The people of the town are questioning who is responsible for this, whether it is the district administration, the state government, or the entire political class.

Millions of rupees have been spent on erecting statues on the historic Ridge, including those of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indira Gandhi, Dr. YS Parmar (the state's founder Chief Minister), and Lt. Gen. Daulat (a national martyr).

Even Daulat Park has been opened for tourists. The statues of these respected figures are facing the same fate.

Fortunately, the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, located in a secured corner of The Ridge, has been spared from this treatment due to the absence of space for stalls or products.

However, it raises questions about whether tourists, who should be treated as gods (as per the saying "Atithi Devo Bhava"), have the liberty to do as they please.

Are we solely devoted to catering to rowdy tourists, disregarding our heritage and tolerating their free  ‘vandalism’?

Do we have to sacrifice everything- our environment or our heritage and solely focus on disposing of the mountains of trash they leave behind  and traffic jams every day and every season in the hills?

It is time for soul-searching.

The people of the town demand answers. They question whether these statues are merely meant for offering floral tributes on birthdays and death anniversaries.

The statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee was erected during the previous Jai Ram Thakur government's tenure, with the expenditure of crores of public money.

It was dedicated to one of the most respected Prime Ministers and Bharat Ratna awardees, who held a special place in the hearts of the people of Himachal Pradesh.

The same holds true for the statue of Smt. Indira Gandhi that stands a few meters away.

The administration, state government, and the political class as a whole need to answer for allowing exhibitors to marginalize these significant figures in a commercial maze, which deeply hurts  sensitivities.