Indian-origin economist Meghnad Desai will go on a Gandhian-style hunger strike to help raise “awareness” around 1 million pounds required for erecting Mahatma Gandhi’s statue at the Parliament Square here.
lord Desai, 74, who has set up a registered charity called Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Trust for the fundraising drive, announced his decision just as official planning permission for the statue came through on Wednesday.
“Gandhiji went on a fast for so many good causes so it seems quite appropriate that I also go on hunger-strike to raise awareness for this good cause,” lord Desai told PTI.
“The collections are going well but we have a long way to go before we reach the finishing line of an early 2015 launch. It will be a proud moment for all Indians and the followers of the Mahatma, all over the world,” he added.
All statues at Parliament Square in london, which currently include Britain’s war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill and South African anti-apartheid campaigner Nelson Mandela, have been set up through public donations.