Kolkata’s Damnatio memoriae moment

Almost 2,000 years ago in ancient Rome, after an emperor was removed unceremoniously, busts, statues, and portraits of the ruler were destroyed. Called damnatio memoriae (condemnation of memory), it was the ancient Roman equivalent of cancel culture. The practice of damnatio memoriae was used by the Senate to officially erase a disgraced or deposed emperor from history.In the last century and the present one, following the fall of communist regimes, the toppling of Saddam Hussein in Iraq in 2003, and the change of government led by Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh in 2024, statues representing the fallen rulers were pulled down.On June 1, 2026, as 35 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs were being administered the oath of office as Ministers at Lok Bhawan in Kolkata, a 70-foot statue of footballer Lionel Messi was removed from a prominent intersection in the city. It signified the collapse of the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year tenure in West Bengal. Along with it, hoardings and posters of leaders of the previous regime disappeared overnight. Kolkata began to look different.The fibreglass-and-iron statue of Messi had become one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. It was installed in December 2025 during the football legend’s “GOAT India Tour”. The Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, where the statue stood, hosts one of Kolkata’s most iconic Durga Pujas, organised by the Sreebhumi Sporting Club.Former West Bengal Fire Minister Sujit Bose, patron of the Durga Puja celebration, was the key figure behind the statue installation. Years earlier, when the Trinamool Congress government sought to transform Kolkata into a London-like cityscape, Mr. Bose began installing themed structures around the Durga Puja venue. A clock tower modelled on Big Ben was among the installations at the site.Headwinds, political and climaticThe collapse of the Trinamool Congress regime led to the downfall of several party leaders, including Mr. Bose. A week after losing the election to the BJP’s Sharadwat Mukherjee, Mr. Bose was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on May 11 for his alleged involvement in a municipal recruitment scam.The political storm and the nor’wester winds appeared to converge on the statue. Swaying in strong winds, it had to be secured with heavy-duty nylon ropes, while barricades were erected to keep people and traffic away from the site.“We have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind,” Mr. Mukherjee had said before being sworn in. He added that the statue’s proximity to a busy road and a subway made its removal difficult, but that the authorities planned to “remove the statue at the earliest opportunity”. The controversial and much talked about statue outside the VVIP gate of the Salt Lake Stadium which was designed by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself. | As cranes lifted the structure and transported it away, the spectacle resembled a scene from Gulliver’s Travels. Against overcast skies, trucks carried the 70-foot statue through the streets of Kolkata, making surrounding buildings and structures appear almost Lilliputian. The State Public Works Department has decided to keep the statue at an undisclosed location.Messi’s statue is not the only casualty. Not far away stood another giant football-themed sculpture outside Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, also known as Yuba Bharati Krirangan. The installation, featuring giant muscular legs in football boots topped by a football, had been conceived by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The design drew mixed reactions when it was installed. The structure was removed on May 23.“Such an ugly-looking statue does not make sense. It is not aesthetically pleasing either. We will not keep such a grotesque structure that has no meaning, and it will be taken down,” West Bengal Sports Minister and BJP leader Nisith Pramanik said. The Minister sa