THANKS to solicitous response from the Daga family, the famed Kasturchand Park has got back the marble statue of (the late) Sir Kasturchand Daga. That had become necessary as the old statue, standing at the north-eastern tip of the Kasturchand Park had come down when a massive tree-branch crashed upon it a few months ago. The family took upon itself the task of making of a new statue of one of Nagpur’s most celebrated sons -- giving back the place its old glory. This resurrection of a historic landmark is an event whose importance can never be overstated. It was in 1922, that is a hundred years ago, that the original statue of Sir Kasturchand Daga was first installed at the north-eastern tip of the iconic ground that has seen countless pages of history unfolding.

 

So when a tree-branch came down crashing upon the statue and sent it reeling, every Nagpurian’s sense of honour and propriety was hurt. That sense now stands restored with the new statue. Of course, the Kasturchand Park of today is not as glorious as it used to be just a few years ago. The authorities have conspired to mess up with the persona of the iconic ground that saw massive rallies and exhibitions and fairs and sporting events. Now, a monstrous structure of the MetroRail Station on the western edge obliterates the beauty of Kasturchand Park. A half-hearted attempt to make the ground a better place also has botched up with the serene expanse of the place to which gravitated countless hundreds of people all the day around no matter the sun or the rain or the cold. A badly designed compound wall, too, has added to disfigurement of the ground.

 

Occasionally, somebody in the judiciary wakes up and asks the authorities to come up with a time-bound plan to improve conditions of Kasturchand Park. But the cosmetic shallowness of the exercise cannot be missed. Amid this chaotic situation, the new statue of Sir Kasturchand Daga will stand tall and graceful and bring to the people a sense of pride and pleasure -- above the mess, above the pettiness that has often marked upkeep of places of historic importance. When the statue was missing from its perch, I often felt bereft of something close to my heart. The absence of the statue marked a terrible void in my being, and I avoided looking at that corner as I passed by the place on countless occasions in the past few months.

 

In the deepest corner of my mind, I also felt guilty and apologetic that as a Nagpurian I was not doing anything constructive and positive to have the statue re-installed. In all humility and with my limited personal resources, I wanted to be a part of the effort to re-making of the statue. The Daga family understood the criticality of having the statue back with all its old glory. And in doing that, the Dagas have helped Nagpurians feel better about themselves and their city. Sir Kasturchandji Daga was not just a successful businessman, but also shared his success with the city and region in a manner few others did. His statue was the city’s way to recognise what he stood for. Or let me rephrase this: The statue is the city’s way to recognise what Sir Kasturchand Daga stands for -- on eternity’s platform.