Source: www.upi.com
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, October 2, 2010: A group advocating for minorities in India is lobbying for the removal of a statue of Mohandas Gandhi in San Francisco. “The popular image of Gandhi as an egalitarian pacifist is a myth,” Bhajan Singh, a member of the Organization for Minorities of India, said in a statement. “We plan to challenge that myth by disseminating Gandhi’s own words to expose his racism and sham nonviolence.”
Singh and his colleagues say Gandhi’s political views are responsible for the oppression of Indian Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and other minorities.
The bronze statue was erectd in a plaza at the Ferry Building in 1988, P.J. Johnston, head of the city Arts Commission, said he expects Gandhi to remain where he is. “I would just say that in my professional career, I’ve had no greater honor than having to defend Gandhi,” Johnston, a professional crisis manager, said.