Students, Faculty term Mahatma Gandhi as a 'Racist', get his statue removed from University of Ghana

A statue of Mahatma Gandhi was taken down from inside the University of Ghana after students and faculty from within the premises protested against it, claiming that India's 'Father of the Nation' was a racist and against blacks.

It is reported that the statue had been unveiled two years ago, and controversy followed and the country's government promised to take it down. But seeing no action, protests were staged and even petitions were filed, which resulted in the statue being removed on Tuesday. 

Obadele Kambon, the head of language, literature and drama at the Institute of African Studies, called it is a major victory, given it was an issue of 'self respect' for them. 

"If we show that we have no respect for ourselves and look down on our own heroes and praise others who had no respect for us, then there is an issue. If we indeed don’t show any self-respect for our heroes, how can the world respect us? This is victory for black dignity and self-respect. The campaign has paid off," he was quoted by Guardian as saying.

While some were concerned that this might impact the relations between the two countries, Ghanaian government werent concerned'. Speaking to the local media on this topic, a senior Ghanaian MP said,

"In erecting the statue originally, I do not think it was something that went through government and went through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before it got to the University of Ghana for them to erect it. My understanding was that it was something that was done at a very different level...Under normal circumstances, I would have expected that something of this nature which actually cuts across borders would have been initiated."