UG students voice up on Gandhi statue controversy

Some students of the University of Ghana have added their voice to the growing controversy which stems from the erection and unveiling of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

A section of the students GhanaWeb spoke to were as divided on the issue as some of the lecturers at the University.

Some of the students suggested that the statue be pulled down since Mahatma Gandhi had not played any role in the development of the school and Ghana at large.

Others also indicated that there was no point in removing the statue since racism was still being practiced in other parts of the world although it had been abolished. Some still sited that the presence of the statue had resorted in more students learning about India’s hero.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian lawyer who became the primary leader of India's independence movement.

Better known as Mahatma Gandhi, he led India to independence from British rule.

Gandhi’s statue was a donation to the university by the Indian government and it was unveiled in June 2016 by the Indian President, Pranab Mukherjee.

Although 800 signatures were needed to petition the University authorities for the statue’s removal, 1400 people signed the petition.

The petition for the removal of Mahatma Gandhi is currently under consideration by the authorities of the University of Ghana.

In a recent development, the acting Indian High Commissioner to Ghana Pradeep Kumar Gupta said he is working with University of Ghana authorities to resolve the controversy.