Who says Shivaji wouldn't want a brand new statue?

The Shivaji statue project is massive in size and budget. We need more such projects across the country. Public money used wisely. Memorials last long, people don't.

Instead of squandering public money on perishable goods, people and schemes, all governments should invest in the right projects. Memorials are permanent structures that stand as proof of wisdom.

Shah Jahan invested in Taj Mahal, we are still reaping its benefits. We now charge white people Rs 1,000 per person for a visit that costs Indians just Rs 40. One time investment, all-time returns.

Besides, if you build an attraction, fewer white people would go to Dharavi, still a popular destination among Western poverty tourists. Now, Mumbai will have a destination so big and nice, they would have to skip Dharavi.

We should focus more on building-building, instead of nation-building. Don't get me wrong. I like nation-building. We already have a nation we are proud of. Show me a building you can be proud of? Antilia doesn’t count. It’s a personal residence.

The last memorial buildings were built by the British. Mayawati built decent parks, but you can't stand and look up to a park, can you? Anyway, Mumbai already has a Shivaji Park.

The best Mumbai could do was replace Victoria's nameplate with Shivaji Maharaj's in that terminus building. Good building, but is encroachment respect, when encroachment per se is a problem in Mumbai? Shivaji Maharaj might have approved of such takeover of enemy property during his times, but he would definitely not appreciate a tribute of that kind today.

Eminent intellectuals and Chetan Bhagat are mixing Vidarbha farmer deaths and Shivaji statue. It's not feasible to build statues for all dead people. We are still a poor country with limited resources. There has to be a priority list. By the way, farmers die every year. Shivaji died once and we have not been able to build a statue for 333 years.

I call them vested interests. Have you noticed the objection to such memorials comes from the living? They are jealous of somebody else’s statue and afraid nobody will erect their’s. They have no stake in it, so they say, well, Shivaji would have liked his forts repaired. That’s a lot of presumption.

Why wouldn’t Shivaji want a brand new statue? I personally think nobody says no to a statue, unless it doesn’t resemble him/her at all? Mayawati got hers done right away because sculptors these days don’t get the shape right even if contours somehow match.

Some are claiming Mumbai could have another sea link in Rs 3,600 crore. How selfish are these people? Here, we are talking of respecting those who gave their life for the nation and Mumbai just wants a smooth ride. Sick!

Oh yes, we have heard this one before. The school argument: We could run 7,000 schools for a couple of years with that kind of money.

This is very lame. We already have so many schools and you hardly see people thronging to see a school. Even kids want to bunk and go see a statue.

The demand for world-class community hospitals is really beyond understanding. Farmers are committing suicide, not dying because of the lack of a hospital.

Basically, the cynics will go to any length to oppose a good thing. They live in some imaginary world, unlike statues which are real and designated attractions.

The Statue of Liberty wasn't paid for by the government. France gifted them the lady, but New York had to build the platform. People paid from their own pockets because they wanted a statue. Here, the government is paying for the statue, yet so many choose to complain.

When will we learn to wholeheartedly support nation-building enterprises and stop dragging people into everything?