Netaji Subhash Bose’s Statue Neglected In Odisha Capital, International Rights Body Files Police Complaint

Bhubaneswar: International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) Odisha Chapter has filed a police complaint alleging lack of maintenance of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s statue at Kalpana Square in Bhubaneswar.

IHRC Odisha State President Siba Sundar Swain has filed a complaint with Capital Police lamenting that Netaji’s statute was given attention only during special events and left unattended at other times.

“Thousands of Ministers pass by this way every day but no one notices the broken statue. The district court, State Museum, BJB College, and most importantly the head office of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation are located near Kalpana Square. We found travellers spitting on the statue, the hand of the statue broken into pieces, the tail of Bose’s horse broken, and the statue left with debris. It is really disappointing to see this wretched condition of the statue of one of our notable freedom fighters,” Swain wrote in his complaint.

He further added, “We often remember him as a great fighter who had quoted “Give me blood, I will give you freedom”. He was a braveheart born in Odisha in the Silver City of Cuttack which gives us the privilege to be proud and honoured. But we only remember him on January 26, August 15 and Subash Bose Jayanti.”

The IHRC Odisha president has also appealed the government to reconstruct the statue and maintain it properly.