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Ludhiana: Patton tank captured by 1965 war hero returns to Bharat Nagar Chowk after 30 years
A base has already been prepared at the site where the tank has been placed, while work to install the statue will be completed in the coming days
In a move aimed at restoring the city’s military heritage, the municipal corporation on Monday night shifted the Patton tank, captured by 1965 war hero martyr Major Bhupinder Singh, back to its original location at Bharat Nagar Chowk after nearly 30 years.
The overnight operation, carried out at around 1 am, involved three cranes and a trailer to transport the tank from near the Rose Garden to the chowk. Officials said the shifting process took around four hours to complete.
A base has already been prepared at the site where the tank has been placed, while work to install the statue will be completed in the coming days. The MC has allocated ₹14.86 lakh for shifting and tiling work for the memorial.
The development comes after months of sustained demand by residents and activists to restore the memorial to its original site. The statue and tank of the Maha Vir Chakra awardee had become a symbol of the city’s connection with its military legacy.
Mayor Inderjit Kaur had recently reviewed the preparations along with civic officials and Army representatives, following which the final approval for shifting the memorial was granted.
The statue of Major Bhupinder Singh was first installed at Bharat Nagar Chowk in 1980–81. However, it was shifted in 1995 during installation of floodlights and later relocated again in 2021–22 to facilitate construction of the elevated road on Ferozepur Road, after which it was placed near the Rose Garden.
Officials said the memorial would now be reinstalled at the centre of the roundabout. The MC is also planning landscaping, lighting and beautification of the site to give the memorial due prominence.
The issue had been consistently raised by the Public Action Committee (PAC) and local residents, who had staged protests and written to authorities demanding restoration of the memorial. They had objected to attempts to install other structures at the chowk while the martyr’s memorial remained displaced.
Residents welcomed the move, stating that the return of the tank marked the restoration of the chowk’s original identity. They termed it a long-awaited step towards honouring the sacrifice of the war hero.
Major Bhupinder Singh, a native of Harnampura village in Ludhiana, was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his bravery and leadership during the 1965 Indo-Pak war.
