NEW DELHI, Dec 30: The Councillor of Chushul in Ladakh questioned the relevance of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji that was installed by the Indian Army on the banks of Pangong Tso Lake in Eastern Ladakh, a point also raised by several veterans on social media.
“As a local resident, I must voice my concerns about the Shivaji statue at Pangong. It was erected without local input, and I question its relevance to our unique environment and wildlife. Let’s prioritize projects that truly reflect and respect our community and nature,” Konchok Stanzin, Councillor of Chushul, questioned on X.
According to defence sources, the statue is within the Unit location which is a Maratha Unit. It was built with voluntary contributions from the serving and retired personnel of that Unit.
On December 26, a majestic statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was inaugurated on the banks of Pangong Tso at an altitude of 14,300 feet, the Leh-based 14 Corps said on X. “The towering symbol of valour, vision and unwavering justice was inaugurated by Lt. Gen. Hitesh Bhalla… General Officer Commanding (GOC), Fire and Fury Corps and Colonel of The Maratha Light Infantry. The event celebrates the unwavering spirit of the Indian ruler, whose legacy remains a source of inspiration for generations,” it added.
Questioning the relevance of Shivaji at Pangong Tso, several veterans and others noted that Zorawar Singh would have been a more appropriate choice. However, defence sources said Infantry Units have a long tradition of placing Unit related icons to motivate soldiers and this is also such a move.
“There are the statutes [or laws] of war, but of late our armed forces are studying the “statues of war”…,” Maj. Gen. Birender Dhanoa (Retd.) quipped on social media platform X. He further questioned, “A simple question for you guys in 14 Corps? Why was a unit and ‘colonel of the regiment’ affair publicised on Social Media? Are all fixed class units erecting statues across the Corps Z [zone] that are in keeping with their ancestral satraps? If not then social media isn’t the place for a one off.”
Another veteran Col. Sanjay Pande observed that Zorawar Singh went through Pangong Tso to Khurnak Fort, established posts right up to Mansarovar. “He died fighting in Tibet. Leh Fort is called Zorawar Fort. Why Shivaji’s Statue there? I am Maharashtrian from a pure Dogra unit, the first unit of Maharaja Gulab Singh. Why not another Shivaji statue in Lal Chowk Srinagar? Or in Dras? Or in Kargil? Zorawar Singh fought wars 180 years back, weather was as found today. He deserves to be there.”
Pangong Tso, the 135-km long lake disputed between India and China was the seat of the initial clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers in May 2020 that developed into a larger standoff being the last phase of the disengagement process which was undertaken in October. Both North and South Banks of Pangong were among the seven friction points of the standoff and saw intense action in 2020.
This is not the first such instance. In November 2023, a 10.5 feet tall Shivaji statue was unveiled by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of the Kashmir Valley. The statue which was sent from Mumbai, was installed at the headquarters of 41 Rashtriya Rifles (Maratha Li).
A 35 feet tall Statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra on occasion of Navy Day in December 2023 collapsed in August this year.
Sajjad Kargili, a political activist who contested for the Parliament from Ladakh in 2019 said on X that there was no cultural or historical relevance of Shivaji in Ladakh. “While we respect his legacy, imposing such cultural symbols here is misplaced. We would appreciate the installation of statues honouring local historical figures like Khree Sultan Cho or Ali Sher Khan Anchen and Seenge Namgyal. However, even these should not be placed in environmentally sensitive areas like Pangong, which require careful preservation,” he observed.
(Manas Dasgupta)
