Gandhi Statue in Blantyre

In 2018, a statue of Gandhi was proposed to be built in Blantyre, Malawi’s second-largest city. The Statue formed part of a USD 10 million investment from the Indian Government to construct a convention centre named after Gandhi. However, given Gandhi’s controversial writings on race, a ‘Gandhi Must Fall’ protest group quickly emerged and challenged the decision in Court, citing that the erection of the statue was racist. This case study explores the importance of local consultation in the decision to erect public monuments and questions of who the statue is for and who benefits from the erection of such a statue.