Statue of Unity: A display of nationalism at the cost of other priorities

The efficiency of the government machinery stands in stark contrast to India's modus operandi when it comes to infrastructure

What does strongman showmanship look like? In India, it’s 25,000 tons of steel, 3,550 tons of bronze and 210,000 cubic meters of cement and concrete — towering over the world at a cost of about $400 million. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently unveiled the Statue of Unity in his home state of Gujarat. The likeness is of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a leader of the independence movement known as the “Ironman of India,” who died in 1950. 

At 182 meters (597 feet), it’s the tallest such structure in the world — double the height of the Statue of Liberty and more