The theft of a Mahatma Gandhi statue in Melbourne has drawn fresh international condemnation and emotional reactions from the global artistic community, as India urged Australian authorities to act swiftly to recover the monument and bring those responsible to justice.
Internationally renowned sculptor Naresh Kumar Kumawat, director of the Matu Ram Art Centres and the artist who designed the Mahatma Gandhi statue, said news of the theft was deeply painful, not just as a creator but as someone who views such monuments as belonging to the world.
“It is deeply painful to hear about the theft of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Australia,” Mr Kumawat said.
“Whether a statue is my own creation or the work of another artist, these monuments are not just metal; they are symbols of peace that belong to the whole world. Using an angle grinder to cut down a figure of Bapu is an act of extreme disrespect, not just to India, but to the values of non-violence.”
“My heart goes out to the Indian community in Melbourne. You can remove a physical statue, but the message of harmony it stands for is something no one can ever steal.”
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has strongly condemned the theft of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Rowville, expressing solidarity with Victoria’s Indian-Australian community and reaffirming the state’s commitment to multicultural respect.
“We strongly condemn this attack on the statue of Mahatma Gandhi and stand with Victoria’s Indian community at this time,” the Premier said.
She emphasised that “Victoria is a proudly multicultural state, and there is zero tolerance for acts that target or disrespect cultural monuments.”
“Victoria Police is actively investigating this matter to locate and identify those responsible and hold them to account.”
India formally condemned the vandalism and removal of the statue, which was located at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville. Responding to media queries, India’s Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi had taken up the matter strongly with Australian authorities.
“We strongly condemn the vandalisation and removal of the Mahatma Gandhi statue located at the Australian Indian Community Centre in Rowville, Melbourne by unidentified people,” Mr Jaiswal said.
“We have strongly raised the matter with Australian authorities and urged them to take immediate action to recover the missing statue and hold the culprits accountable.”
The incident was first reported by The Australia Today, which revealed that the bronze statue — a gift from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in New Delhi — had been stolen, triggering a police investigation and renewed anxiety within Melbourne’s Indian-Australian community. The statue was inaugurated on 12 November 2021 by former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison and has since stood as a symbol of peace, non-violence and shared democratic values.
Victoria Police confirmed that officers from the Knox Crime Investigation Unit are investigating the alleged theft, which is believed to have occurred in the early hours of Monday, 12 January. Police said three unknown offenders allegedly removed the statue from the charity premises on Kingsley Close, Rowville, at about 12.50 am.
“Officers have been told the offenders used an angle grinder to cut the statue,” police said in a statement.
Investigators have warned scrap metal dealers to remain vigilant for anyone attempting to sell a bronze statue and urged members of the public to report suspicious activity. Anyone with information, CCTV footage or who witnessed the incident has been asked to contact Crime Stoppers.
The theft has reopened old wounds for the community, reviving memories of an earlier attack on the same statue. Within 24 hours of its inauguration in November 2021, the monument was vandalised by unknown individuals, an act that sparked widespread condemnation in Australia and India. That incident occurred during a period of heightened tension linked to Khalistan-related extremist activity, which has previously targeted Indian diplomatic missions, community spaces and cultural symbols in several Western countries.
Statues of Mahatma Gandhi have been targeted in Australia and overseas by vandals who view them as symbolic sites, despite Gandhi’s global standing as an icon of non-violence. In some international cases, offenders were caught attempting to cut statues with power tools, a method that now bears similarities to the Rowville theft, although police have not confirmed any motive or ideological link in the current investigation.
The incident has also drawn condemnation from Victorian opposition figures. Shadow Minister for Multicultural and Multifaith Affairs Evan Mulholland said the theft was deeply distressing and undermined the sense of safety multicultural communities should feel.
“Our multicultural communities should feel safe and respected in every suburb of this state,” he said, adding that the perpetrators must be held to account and urging anyone with information to assist police.
Local MP for Rowville, Kim Wells, said the act was distressing not only for the Indian-Australian community but for all residents who value peace and multicultural harmony, while Liberal candidate for Rowville, Max Williams, said the attack struck at the heart of local community values.
Leaders within the Indian-Australian community have warned that the incident goes beyond property crime, touching on deeper issues of cultural safety, respect and the protection of community landmarks. While Victoria Police have not attributed the theft to any group or ideology, the statue’s history and the manner of its removal have intensified calls for a thorough investigation and stronger safeguards for culturally significant monuments.
Police say inquiries are continuing and that all possibilities remain open, including whether the statue was stolen for its scrap metal value or as a deliberate act of vandalism or intimidation. For now, authorities say their priority is recovering the statue and identifying those responsible, as the incident once again highlights the vulnerability of symbols of peace in an increasingly polarised world.
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