Srinagar: The installation of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji on the bank of Pangong Tso lake has sparked controversy among lawmakers and activists in Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir who have described the move as “cultural domination” and an “insult” to the sensitive environment in the Himalayan region.
After the army unveiled the Shivaji statue last week, Konchok Stanzin, councillor of Chushul in eastern Ladakh, questioned the “relevance” of the Maratha warrior to the Himalayan region which has been a source of military and diplomatic rows between New Delhi and Beijing in recent years.
“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 prioritise projects that truly reflect and respect our community and nature,” Stanzin, a former executive councillor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh, said in a post on X.
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. https://t.co/7mpu3yceDp
— Konchok Stanzin (@kstanzinladakh) December 29, 2024
On Thursday, December 26, Lt Gen Hitesh Bhalla, the general officer commanding of the 14 Corps, unveiled the 30-feet tall bronze statue at an altitude of 14,300 feet in eastern Ladakh near the Line of Actual Control along the Indo-China border.
“The towering symbol of valour, vision and unwavering justice was inaugurated by Lt Gen Hitesh Bhalla, SC **, SM, VSM, 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,” the 14 Corps said in a post on X.
SHRI CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ STATUE AT PANGONG TSO, LADAKH
AdvertisementOn 26 Dec 2024, a majestic statue of Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was inaugurated on the banks of Pangong Tso at an altitude of 14,300 feet.
The towering symbol of valour, vision and unwavering justice was… pic.twitter.com/PWTVE7ndGX
Advertisement— @firefurycorps_IA (@firefurycorps) December 28, 2024
Taking a dig at the army, former J&K minister and senior politician Naeem Akhtar said that he hoped that Shivaji “will keep the dragon away the same way he killed Afzal Khan.” Khan was a general in the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur Sultanate in India who is known for his campaigns against the Maratha warrior.
“China by the way seems to be following Shivaji’s war strategy and wearing the anti Afzal weapon,” Akhtar, who is widely seen as an ideologue of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Mehbooba Mufti, said in a post on X.
Hoping that Shivaji will keep the dragon away the same way he killed Afzal Khan. China by the way seems to be following Shivaji’s war strategy and wearing the anti Afzal weapon. https://t.co/m6Ui2gPgVY
— Naeem Akhtar (@shangpal) December 30, 2024
Terming the move as a “form of cultural domination,” senior activist and politician, Sajjad Kargili, said that the local stakeholders were not taken on board by the army. He said that although the Maratha warrior may have made significant contributions to Maharashtra, he was “not politically relevant” to Ladakh.
Kargili, who unsuccessfully contested the recent Lok Sabha election as an independent candidate from Ladakh, said that the Army should respect the “regional sensibilities” before formulating “controversial” proposals. He said that imposing “cultural symbols” on Ladakh was “not acceptable”.
“It’s more important to preserve the history of Ladakh. Having the statue of Khree Sultan Cho, Ali Sher Khan Anchan or Gyal Khatoon who are relevant to our history would have been more appropriate. At the larger level, there is no need for such statues in an environmentally sensitive region like Pangong Tso which require careful preservation,” he said.
While some people on social media appreciated the army for paying “great tribute” to the Maratha king, others questioned the relevance of “out of context eyesore” on the banks of Pangong Tso, arguing that a statue of the Sikh general Zorawar Singh, a military general in Dogra-Rajput ruler Gulab Singh, would have been more appropriate.
Singh is widely credited for leading an army and conquering the Buddhist-majority kingdom of Ladakh which was then merged with the Dogra kingdom, then part of the Sikh Empire led by Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore.
Jammu-based editor and senior political commentator Zaffar Choudhary said that although the Maratha warrior was a great figure in Indian history, Ladakh has a number of local heroes who deserved public celebration.
“People would relate better with King Skilde Nimagon if his statue was raised instead of Shivaji’s. If this has to be from the point of view of Indian national integration, General Zorawar and Maharaja Gulab Singh would have been better choices,” he said.
The controversy over the statue of Shivaji has broken out nearly a month after the Ministry of Home Affairs held talks with civil society groups and political leaders of Ladakh over the political and constitutional disempowerment of the Himalayan region after it was separated from Jammu and Kashmir and downgraded into a Union Territory without legislature.
According to Ladakhi leaders, the Union government has agreed to reserve 95% jobs in the region for locals, one-third reservation for women in hill councils and formulating “constitutional safeguards” to preserve the land and culture of Ladakh. The next round of talks is going to be held on January 15.
In October, India and China claimed to have completed the disengagement process on the last two friction points of Demchok and Depsang in Ladakh following the four-and-half-year-long border standoff which erupted on May 5, 2020 in the aftermath of a violent clash in the Pangong lake area.
