Queen Sofía of Spain presided over the inauguration of artist Ram Sutar’s sculpture of Gandhi, a gift from the Government of India to the city of Madrid. The event took place at Plaza de Joan Miró, in front of the Palacio de Congresos. The Spain India Council Foundation was involved in the initiative and was represented by Chairman Antonio Escámez at the event.
The event took place on the 143rd anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth, the International Day of Non-Violence. The bronze statue, a gift from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), weighs 360 kg and represents Mahatma Gandhi setting off on the Salt March on March 12, 1930. The creator is Ram Vanji Sutar, a master sculptor whose works can be found at iconic locations in India and other countries, and the statue was commissioned by the Government of India to pay tribute to Gandhi as a historical figure.
Queen Sofía was accompanied by Minister of Defence Pedro Morenés, Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism José Manuel Soria; Ambassador of India to Spain Sunil Lal and his wife, Gitanjali Lal, the Mayor of Madrid, Ana Botella, and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Spain India Council Foundation, Antonio Escámez and Mohan Chainani.
The event opened with an address by Ambassador Lal, who presented the statue on behalf of the Government of India and thanked Spain for its recognition of Gandhi. The Ambassador also thanked the Queen and the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism (owner of the esplanade on which the statue stands today) for their support. "This is a sign of respect to the father of the Indian motherland, whose legacy still stands today."
During the event, the choir from the Instituto de Educación Secundaria Condesa Eylo Alfonso in Valladolid sang "Vaishnav jan to teene kahiye je" and "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram", two of Gandhi’s favourite songs.
More images in the Gallery
