New additions to Army Heritage Museum

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 24

The bust of Major Sandeep Shankla, awarded Ashok Chakra (posthumously), original Vir Chakra of Captain Jatinder Nath Sood (posthumous), a lucid write-up about Major Pradeep Agarwal, first test pilot of the Army and war bunker, are the latest additions to The Army Heritage Museum in Shimla.

“There was confusion over the birth place of Major Shankla and records were searched with the help of the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) which verified that he hailed from Karwar village in Hamirpur district, following which his bust was placed in the museum. It was inaugurated recently by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Vijay Divas,” said Yashpal Mehta, curator of the museum.

On August 8, 1991, Major Shankla (18 Dogra) was shot during a combat with terrorists at Zafarkhani village in Jammu and Kashmir and was awarded Ashok Chakra (posthumously).

The original Vir Chakra of Captain Jatinder Nath Sood (posthumously) that was presented to Army Commander Lt Gen Raj Shukla by his brother Joginder Lal Sood on December 16 last is also displayed in the museum. Capt Sood was attacked by terrorists when he was opening fire at them. He was killed on the spot in the Eastern Sector in Pirganj on December 8, 1971. He was 29 years old.

“A write-up about Army’s first test pilot (gunner and aviator) Major Pradeep Agarwal, who died in a crash on a reconnaissance mission near Genkar La (Kameng) in Arunachal Pradesh while carrying Union Minister of State for Defence NVM Sonu and Maj Gen Ramesh Nagpal in 1997 has also been showcased, besides newly-built war bunker depicting the lives of soldiers on borders,” Mehta added.

The execution order of freedom fighter Mangal Pandey, who raised the banner of revolt against the British in 1857, Instrument of surrender and liberation of Bangladesh in December 1971, uniform of the first lady cadet of the Army, Major Priya Jhingan, captured flag of the 1st Bahawalpur Sadiq Battalion of Pakistan, first Indian to be decorated with the Victoria Cross Khuda Dad Khan and dismantled weapons used in the World War-I and II and 1962 Indo-China War are among other prized possession of this museum.

The museum is a tribute to the glorious history of the country and the valour of its bravehearts. It documents 5,000-year-old rich history of wars and warfare and courageous feats of martial forces dating back from the Mahabharata era till date.

Overlooking the sprawling Annandale, the museum was set up by the Army Training Command in 2006. It is divided into four sections, namely Heritage Section, Himachal Corner, Shaurya Hall and Glass House.