Mattewara panel demands restoration of 1965-war martyr’s memorial at Bharat Nagar Chowk

Sixty years after Major Bhupinder Singh laid down his life in the 1965 war, citizens of Ludhiana are demanding that his memory be restored with dignity at Bharat Nagar Chowk—a site once marked by his statue and tank, now replaced by commercial hoardings and a cycle-shaped structure.

A wave of public sentiment surged through Bharat Nagar Chowk as citizens, ex-servicemen, shopkeepers, lawyers and farm union leaders gathered to demand the restoration of a memorial for Major Bhupinder Singh, Mahavir Chakra awardee, on the 60th anniversary of his martyrdom. The event, organised by Public Action Committee (PAC), Mattewara, was not just a tribute—it was a call to action.

Major Bhupinder Singh, a native of Harnampura village in Ludhiana, displayed extraordinary courage and leadership during the 1965 India-Pakistan War. Commanding ‘B’ Squadron of the 4th Horse regiment, he was tasked with cutting off enemy lines along the Gadgor-Phillora road and providing a fire base for the attack on Phillora. Despite his tank being hit multiple times, Major Singh continued to lead from the front. On September 19—his birthday—his tank was struck by a missile and caught fire. He succumbed to his injuries on October 3, 1965. For his bravery, he was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, India’s second-highest wartime gallantry award.

His statue and a captured Patton tank were once proudly displayed at the rotary at Bharat Nagar Chowk, symbolising Ludhiana’s connection to its war heroes. However, after the rotary was razed, the memorial was shifted near the Government College for Girls and now sits outside the Rose Garden—far from its original place of honour.

Today’s gathering saw PAC members Kuldeep Singh Khaira and Gurpreet Singh Plaha bring soil from Major Singh’s village to mix with soil at the chowk, led by Brigadier Inder Mohan Singh (Retd). A flex bearing the Major’s image and his tank was installed as a placeholder until the original memorial is restored.

PAC members issued a deadline till Diwali for the administration to act on their demand. “If the demands are not met, we will call for a state-wide gathering before the wheat sowing season,” said Khaira. “This is about dignity, history and justice.”

Brigadier Singh said, “I will write to the Western Command and urge the Chief Minister to ensure this is done respectfully. Our martyrs deserve nothing less.”