Letter: Dialog, not destruction
The board and friends of Yolo Interfaith Immigration Network support the peaceful resolution of differences of opinion, and we especially focus on those issues that affect our immigrant neighbors. Our very mission statement makes this clear: “Yolo Interfaith Immigration Network (YIIN) strives to collaborate with, advocate for and support our immigrant neighbors.” That is why we write to you regarding the destruction of the Gandhi statue in Central Park.
As you are aware, the statue was erected on Oct. 2, 2016, after the City Council voted affirmatively to honor Mahatma Gandhi. Clearly, his life and works have informed this nation’s civil rights movement and other social justice work. On Jan. 26, 2021, India’s Republic Day, Gandhi’s statue was destroyed, the head being severed and carried away. A subsequent peace vigil, on Jan. 31, was disrupted and then halted when hecklers surrounded the vigil, screaming at the attendees.