We should honour our leaders with deeds, not just statues

I write in reference to your article World’s tallest statue in tribute to Sardar Vallabbhai Patel unveiled in India (October 31). It is indeed true that Sardar Patel was a great leader who united various large and small princeling states to create a unified India. So, building the highest statue in the world in his honour is a fitting tribute. However, building statues is not enough; we must respect our erstwhile leaders in deed. The real tribute to Sardar Patel, would be to maintain a unified India, where all religions and communities live and thrive peacefully. Statues alone do not ensure respect and adherence to these principles. We have hundreds of statues of Mahatma Gandhi, even in many villages, but we don’t follow many of his lessons.

Jawaharlal Nehru was another visionary who focussed on the future of India. The pair – Nehru the far-seeing leader and Patel the down-toearth leader – both defined a path for the country’s future. Both of them were dedicated and able leaders and were two sides of the same coin. They complemented and supported each other very well.

However, Mahatma Gandhi was the greatest unifier of India. His heart broke at the partition of the country. He wanted Hindus and Muslims to coexist in harmony. In fact Gandhi was assassinated by extremists who were unhappy with his policy of appeasing the Muslims. Gandhiji gave his life for his dream of a united India. So he will always be the greatest unifier of India.

Rajendra Aneja, Dubai

On the one hand, I applaud the gesture of India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, for erecting the tallest statue in the world for the freedom fighter, Saradar Patel who brought unity to the country. On the other hand, political critics are, perhaps rightly, pouring scorn on Mr Modi, given the backdrop of recent developments in India. The cost factor is of great importance and thus far lacks clarity. The statue has created job opportunities for people during the almost two and half years of construction. But if the cost rises to Dh1.5 billion, which was mooted, that is unacceptable. However, money aside, Sardar Patel deserves to stand tall in his home town for his extraordinary achievements. K Ragavan, Bengaluru