Hyderabad: Local sculptors upset over Ambedkar's statue outsourced to China

Hyderabad: Local sculptors are miffed with the Telangana state government’s decision to seek China’s assistance on the proposed 125-foot-tall statue of B.R. Ambedkar at NTR Gardens in the city.

A committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari is currently touring China to hold talks with Chinese officials on the issue. The local sculptors, however, feel they have been ignored by the government by not drafting in their services and by not providing required infrastructure and technical facilities.

The Kadiam committee on Wednesday visited Shanghai Engineering Company to discuss the issue with its officials. After the arrival, the committee will submit a report to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for the final approval.

Mr Rao had laid the foundation for the installation of the 125-foot-tall statue on April 14, 2016 on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar.

Though he promised to install the statue within a year and inaugurate it on April 14 this year, he could not meet the deadline as the government was in a dilemma over the sculptors. After several deliberations, the committee felt that Chinese firms are experts in making and installation of tall bronze statues.

According to a member of the Kadiam committee, “The Chinese companies had also helped the Gujarat government in the installation of tallest Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel statue. Indian engineering giant L&T — the original contractor for the Patel’s statue — had to seek the help of Chinese firms to export bronze cladding in the form of bronze plates from China.”

Officials said China has over 1,000 bronze statues of Buddha spread across its provinces, including the one that is 600-foot high. However, famous sculptor Ekka Yadagiri Rao feels that local sculptors are capable of making such tall statues. “But it requires good infrastructure and technical facilities. We don’t even have a studio for sculpture.”