Jijamata8217;s homecoming

The Sena chief also pronounced himself 8220;slightly unhappy8221; with the way the statues had been made. 8220;I noticed certain faults when I saw photographs of the statue in newspapers. So I came to the zoo yesterday and marked all the faults with a pencil. I have asked the sculptor Vitthal Shanbaug to make the requisite changes,8221; he said.

At the same time, Thackeray pointed outthat people didn8217;t take inspiration from statues. 8220;Inspiration comes when you read history and study the lives of great men and women,8221; he added.

Lamenting the decline in ethical values, Thackeray said the young generation was 8220;mindlessly aping the West8221; and 8220;Indian samskar was fast being replaced by 8220;Pepsi and Coca Cola culture.8221; Television too, due to advertising for consumer products, was spoiling the youth instead of spreading information and education, he added.

Municipal Commissioner Girish Gokhale said although the Byculla Zoo had been renamed as Veermata Jijabai Bhosle Udyan, there was still something lacking.

8220;After the installation of Jijamata8217;s statue, the gap has been filled,8221; he said. The BMC had passed a resolution in 1992 on the statue8217;s installation.