Exclusive/ How Unceasing Effort Gave New Life to Great Indian Poet Thiruvalluvar Statue At UK's SOAS University

London: The statue of great Indian poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar, which was unveiled on May 13, 1996, at the SOAS University of London, will now be repaired and restored, ending the long one-year struggle of Indian community members concerned over the plight of the statue. 

The poor condition of the statue at SOAS University, pared to the bone, was highlighted by Indian-origin litigation lawyer Yash Jangid, who hails from Rajasthan, in February this year. 

“Last year, on Guru Purnima in 2023, I visited Thiruvalluvar’s Statue, inspired by his renowned work Tirukurral. However, I was disheartened to find the statue in a dilapidated state on the campus of an international university. Determined to take action, I raised the issue with Deepak Choudhary, the Minister of Coordination at the High Commission of India, during a discussion on women's protection,” Jangid told Republic.

“With no action being taken, in February, I recorded a video showcasing the statue's condition and shared it on Instagram and X, garnering significant support. I also initiated communication with SOAS University, London, stressing the importance of restoring the statue. After several discussions, they agreed to fund the repair costs.” 

After several rounds of correspondence with the Indian-origin senior advocate, the varsity took cognisance of the long-pending issue and allocated Rs 20 Lakh for restoration work of the statue, boosting Indian sentiments on the foreign land. 

Giving new life to the statue of great Indian poet Thiruvalluvar who inspired millions with his writings, the restoration work is estimated to be completed by May-end, Jangid informed Republic. 

Who Was Thiruvalluvar? 

Thiruvalluvar, widely called as Valluvar, was an Indian poet and philosopher who is best known for his works including Tirukkuṟaḷ, a collection of couplets on ethics, political and economic matters, and love. It's widely considered as one of the cherished work of Tamil literature.   

Through his literature works, he influenced a range of scholars down the time across political, social, religious and economical spheres. He has long been venerated as a great sage, and his literary works a classic of Tamil culture. 

The mention of Thiruvalluvar was also found in the BJP manifesto for this year's Lok Sabha elections, ‘Modi Ki Guarantee 2024.’ 

In the chapter titled ‘Modi ki Guarantee for Vishwa Bandhu Bharat,' the party promised to build Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centres across the globe to showcase Bharat’s rich culture and offer training in yoga, ayurveda, Bharatiya languages, classical music etc. “We will promote Bharat’s rich democratic traditions going back millennia as the Mother of Democracy,” reads the manifesto.