Daijiworld Media Network – London

London, Sep 30: Just days before the annual Gandhi Jayanti celebrations, the iconic statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Tavistock Square in London was defaced with anti-India graffiti, drawing strong condemnation from the High Commission of India.

In a post on X, the Indian mission called it a “shameful act” and “a violent attack on the idea of non-violence,” adding that officials were on site to coordinate the statue’s immediate restoration. “We have taken this up strongly with local authorities for immediate action,” the High Commission said.

The plinth of the bronze statue, which depicts the Father of the Nation in a meditative pose, was discovered vandalized on Monday. The Metropolitan Police and Camden Council confirmed they are investigating the incident.

Unveiled in 1968 and sculpted by artist Fredda Brilliant, the statue stands as a tribute to Gandhi’s days as a law student at nearby University College London. Its plinth bears the inscription, “Mahatma Gandhi, 1869–1948.”

Tavistock Square, often referred to as London’s “peace park,” also hosts memorials including a cherry tree for Hiroshima bombing victims, a field maple planted in 1986 to mark the UN’s International Year of Peace, and a granite monument honouring conscientious objectors unveiled in 1995.

Gandhi Jayanti, observed globally as the International Day of Non-Violence, is celebrated annually on October 2 with floral tributes and Gandhi’s favourite bhajans at the site.