Restore statue of 1965 war veteran Maha Vir Chakra awardee Major Bhupinder Singh in heart of Ludhiana city: PAC

“The statue of Major Singh and the captured tank, which once stood at Bharat Nagar Chowk and were an inseparable part of the city’s history and pride, have been missing. At their place, Hero Cycles has installed its bicycle model and insignia. Even the name ‘Bharat Nagar Chowk’ has been removed from the roundabout signage, creating space for the area to slowly be referred to as ‘Hero Cycle Chowk’. This is a deliberate attempt to erase the memory of the city’s real hero,” said PAC member Kapil Arora.

“The statue has now been lying dumped at an insignificant location near Rose Garden, where hardly anyone can see it. It is not even visible to city residents, and no one knows about its location. Earlier, it was visible to every commuter crossing Ludhiana, including those from other cities and states. We demand the statue and the tank be restored to their original location immediately,” said another PAC member ,Jaskirat Singh.

The site at Bharat Nagar Chowk where PAC wants martyr’s statue to be installed. (Express Photo)

Major Singh, a native of Harnampura village in Ludhiana district, was given the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously for his exemplary leadership and gallantry in the tank battles of Phillora and Sodreke during the 1965 Indo-Pak war. During the battle of Phillora and Sodreke between September 11 and 19, 1965, Major Singh skillfully led his squadron to destroy numerous Pakistani tanks and other enemy equipment. His tank was hit several times, but he remained in command. However, on September 19, 1965, his tank was fatally hit by Pakistani missiles, and he succumbed to burn injuries on October 3, 1965.

The PAC expressed strong concern over the “deliberate erasure of Ludhiana’s historic identity and the dishonour shown towards a war veteran”.

The PAC has urged the administration to fulfil its three demands: immediate removal of corporate branding and restoration of the roundabout’s rightful name ‘Bharat Nagar Chowk’; reinstallation of the statue of Major Bhupinder Singh, MVC, and the captured tank in their full glory at the same chowk; and strict adherence to the use of Punjabi in all public signage, as per law.

The PAC also gave a call to the residents of Ludhiana to get together at Bharat Nagar Chowk at 11 AM on October 3 to’ observe the 60th death anniversary of Major Singh.

“This get-together will be a united demand to restore honour to the city’s ‘Real Hero’ and safeguard the historic identity of one of Ludhiana’s most prominent junctions. Martyrs deserve remembrance, not replacement,” said a PAC statement.

Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain said, “The chowk is under the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation. I have been told that the chowk was allotted to Hero Cycles for maintenance by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). We will see how the matter can be sorted out. There is no intention to disrespect our soldiers.”