Photo-feature: Statues in Amritsar

When statues narrate tales of valour or /////// If only statues could speak

The Tribune correspondent PK Jaiswar and lensman Sunil Kumar make an attempt to revive the history and give us an insight into the statues erected in the memory of the warriors. Standing tall, these speak volumes of the valour and courage of the bravehearts.

If Punjab is known as the land of saints and Gurus, it is also identified as the land of warriors and freedom fighters who contributed immensely to the country’s freedom. The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, which shook the conscience of every Indian and inspired the countrymen to choose the path of freedom struggle, is deeply etched in the memory of every Indian. Though the holy city of Amritsar holds religious and historical relevance, it is also akin to the freedom struggle, with many prominent heroes belonging to its pious land. Many statues and busts have been installed at various places in the city to honour them. Speaking volumes of the historic valour of the holy city, these statues are likely to inspire the generations to come.

1) Mohandass Karamchand Gandhi (October 2 to January 30, 1948): The statue of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, is perhaps the oldest statue in the city. Situated in the historical Ram Bagh garden popularly known as Company Bagh, it was unveiled by former vice president of India Dr S Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary on October 2, 1960. It has witnessed the transformation of the holy city over the past many decades. As per the historians, Mahatma Gandhi visited Amritsar twice — once in 1917 and later in 1919, after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. He was instrumental in getting a memorial built for Jallianwala Bagh martyrs.

2) Saifudeen Kitchlew: The bust of renowned freedom fighter Dr Saifudeen Kitlew was unveiled in 1980 by the then Finance Minister Balwant Singh. Kitchlew was an Amritsar-born Kashmiri. He did his schooling from Islamia High School in Amritsar and did his graduation from Cambridge University. He did his PhD from a German university. He was arrested along with Mahatma Gandhi and another noted freedom fighter Dr Satyapal for leading protests against implementation of Rowlatt Act in Punjab. It was to protest their arrest that a public meeting was called at Jallianwala Bagh where General Reginald Dyer and his troops opened firing at unarmed civilians claiming hundreds of lives on April 13, 1919. He was founding member of Jamia Millia Islamia and awarded Stalin peace award in 1952.

3) Maharaja Ranjit Singh: The city has two statutes of legendry Sikh ruler – one is at the Ram Bagh Garden which was a summer palace and the other was recently built at the Heritage Street. The one located at Rambagh Garden was unveiled in June 1985, by the then Punjab government. It is one of the most visited places by the locals. Known as Sher-e-Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh extended the frontiers of his sate from Sutlej River to Ladakh, Peshawar to Sindh and consolidated Punjab into a prosperous state with highly efficient administrative system.

4) Shaheed Udham Singh: Brought up at the Central Khalsa Orphanage centre in Amritsar, Udham Singh was considered to be a great revolutionary belonging to the Ghadar Party. He is known for the assassinating Michael O’Dwyer responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in April 1919. O’Dwyer, a former lieutenant governor of Punjab, he was assassinated in London following which Udham Singh was convicted and hanged in July 1940. His statue was installed outside Gandhi Gate or Hall gate by Municipal Corporation and Shaheed Udham Singh Yaadgari Committee during his 50th death anniversary in December 1990.

5) Jassa Singh Ramgarhia: A 20-feet-high bronze statue of Sikh warrior Jassa Singh Ramgarhia was installed over a pedestal in a park near East Mohan Nagar industrial area in year 1992. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, founder of Ramgarhia misl one of 12 Sikh misls, was born on May 5, 1723 AD. He had fortified and constructed the fort of Ram Rauni (already lost its existence) in Amritsar. Ram Rauni Fort along with Ahluwalia Fort and Gobindgarh Fort were built to save the Golden Temple from foreign invasions. He occupied the area to the north of Amritsar between the Ravi and Beas and added Jalandhar region and Kangra hill areas to his estate.

6) Sham Singh Attariwala: The statue of another Sikh General Sham Singh Atariwala was installed in January 17, 2010 and was unveiled by the then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Born in 1790s in Attari a few kilometres from Indo-Pak border, he was made a Jathedar of 5,000 horsemen. He participated in many Sikh military operations including Attock battle, Multan and Peshawar battles during Afghan-Sikh wars. He also took part in Kashmir expedition in 1819.

7) Hari Singh Nalwa: The legendary Sikh general, Hari Singh Nalwa was commander-in-chief of Sikh Khalsa Fauj under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He was famous of his unparalleled expeditions to expand the Sikh empire territory right up to the Khyber Pass and defending North Western frontier. He was known for his role in conquest and establishing Sikh empire (Khalsa Raj) in Kasur, Sialkot, Attock, Multan, Kashmir, Peshawar and Jamrud. His statue was established in the recently constructed near town hall in Heritage Street leading towards Golden Temple.

8) Akali Phoola Singh: Akali Phoola Singh Nihang was another great Sikh general of Shaheedan Sikh misl and was the head of Budha Dal. He played a vital role in uniting Sikh misls in Amritsar. He remained the Sikh Army general and led in many battles until his martyrdom in the Naushehra battle.

9) Madan Lal Dhingra: Another great martyr from the holy city Madal Lal Dhingra has two statues, one at the HIG flats near Amritsar’s interstate bus terminus and the other was recently installed at Heritage Street. Born to an educated and affluent family in 1883, he was hanged in England after he assassinated a British official William Hutt Curzon Wyllie for disrespecting an Indian student.

10) Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru: The statue of India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru was installed at Nehru Shopping Complex on Lawrence Road in December 2006 by the then Kerla Governor and former union minister and prominent Congress leader Raghunandan Lal Bhatia. The statue is now crying for attention with bird droppings all over it.

11 ) Subhash Chnader Bose: The founder of Indian National Army Subhash Chander Bose’s statute is situated at Bhandari Bridge. Only a few people know that the great freedom fighter had a brief stopover at the holy city before his ‘great escape’ to Germany via Kashmir, Kabul, Russia in early 1940s. He stayed for a brief period with Dr Saifudin Kitchlew at that time.

12) Dr BR Ambedkar: A statue of Dr BR Ambedkar was installed near Town Hall. An architect of Indian constitution, he was also first law and justice minister after Independence.

13) Ram Singh ‘Ghala Mala’: A bust of noted freedom fighter Ram Singh “Ghala Mala” was installed on Majitha Road area in the year 2004. He remained in jail for at least nine years during different movements of the freedom struggle. He got his name “Ghala Mala” after his poem in Punjabi which he wrote during the second death anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

14) Dr Baldev Parkash: The statue of the prominent BJP leader from Punjab Dr Baldev Parkash was situated at the Rialto Chowk. He was a member of the 6th Lok Sabha from Amritsar also remained MLA two times. He was state president of Jang Sangh for 10 years and also served a finance minister, Punjab. He also remained a Rajya Sabha member in 1992.