INDIA’S NATIONAL Highways Authority plans to erect some 1,500 massive billboards bearing pictures of prime minister Manmohan Singh and the ruling Congress Party chief Sonia Gandhi every 25km along the country’s major motorways.
The government has issued a circular to the authority to build and upgrade thousands of kilometres of highway across the country to display the billboards, each six metres high and three metres wide, on either side of the road in English, the national language Hindi and the local language of the many provinces it passes through.
Besides Hindi, India has 22 officially recognised provincial languages.
A response to a request for information request filed by anti-corruption activist SC Agarwal said the pictures of the two Congress leaders on the billboards would also be accompanied by information on the road-building project.
Officials estimate that each hoarding would cost between rupees 400,000 (€6,074) and Rs 1 million (€15,381).
The Congress Party, meanwhile, under attack from the opposition for perpetuating the cult of personality, deflected criticism by claiming that the initiative to build highways across India was the Congress Party’s.
“It is under their leadership that these [highway construction] schemes have been formulated and are being executed,” party spokesman Shakeel Ahmad said.
“There is no harm if the concerned ministry is installing display boards carrying the images of the Congress president and the PM on either side of the highways.”
The deification of Indian political leaders is not uncommon with their respective parties plastering cities with their massive cut-outs particularly during elections.
However, recently in a display of political omnipotence extravagant even by Indian standards, Ms Mayawati, the “untouchable” or Dalit chief minister of the country’s most populous and backward northern Uttar Pradesh province, established 15 substantial parks resembling modern-day parthenons crammed with massive bronzes, stone and marble statues and friezes of herself.
Fellow Dalit community leaders and her BSP or National Political Party symbol, the elephant too featured in these hugely elaborate parks created at great expense.
In one massive sandstone statue Mayawati is clutching a handbag and pointing like a conquering heroine at a wall fresco.
Although she has been heavily criticised, she has justified her actions on the grounds that it provided employment to a large number of people like masons, stonecutters and sculptors.