Lady Liberty Up In Arms

France gave us the Statue of Liberty but India may be the one to steal our crown for the largest, quasi-religious, rusted out sculpture to grace a nation's shores. Strangely, the Indian province that is looking to erect a $4.5 million monument to excess, I mean liberty, is struggling to keep its head above the tide of the global food crisis and water shortages that are resulting in a high suicide rate of farmers. While you can't eat a giant bronze figure of the Indian warrior king Shivaji, you could try to capitalize on the hoopla with a few thousand snack vendors and a Disney-style laser extravaganza: state officials are banking on the chance that "when it [is] completed, the statue would be an important tourist spot, with sound and light shows..." I'll bring the popcorn, you bring the 3-D glasses.