Hundred of people have signed an online petition on Change.org demanding the removal of 'Clive of India' statue from Shrewsbury town centre in the United Kingdom.
This comes within a few hours of pulling down of a former slave trader Edward Colston’s sculpture in Bristol during 'Black Lives Matter' protests.
According to the petition, Clive was one of the early figures of the British imperial domination of India and Bengal. The petition says:
“He committed mass atrocities and passed catastrophic policies in Bengal that reduced Bengal’s population by a third. He essentially looted the country of Bengal, with the majority of the blood money going straight into his pockets.”
The petition has over 4,000 signs as of Tuesday and was started by Jake Thompson.
"To have a statue commemorating the man that ruined a nation and held innocent people to his barbaric orders is both offensive and embarrassing. Clive as a symbol of British colonialism is significantly offensive to Indian, Bengali and southeast Asian descent and to attempt to justify it as a celebration of British pride and nationalism is only justifiable if one revels in the persecution and murder of millions of innocent people," it reads further.
It also urges for a statue of "someone more worthy celebration."
Clive had served as the first governor of Bengal Presidency under the East India Company in the 18th century. He had earned the title "Clive of India" during that time.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)