New park set up in tribute to army's workhorses

A unique Military Transport Heritage Park was dedicated to the nation at the Army Service Corps (ASC) Centre and College here on Monday. Dubbed as one of its kind in the country, the park was formally inaugurated by Lieutenant General S P S Katewa, Commandant of ASC Centre. The park was conceived as a tribute to the valiant services provided by the mechanical warriors of the Indian Army Mechanical Transport fleet. The memorial is expected to document, exhibit and educate the coming generations of the fleet’s exploits.

Lt Gen Katewa said the vintage Dodge and Ford vehicles of the British era were replaced by these mechanical warriors. These constituted the core of the Indian Army Mechanical Transport fleet over five decades. “These gallant machines served the fledgling nation resolutely, both in peace and war, paving the way eventually for newer generation vehicles,” he recalled.

The heritage park displays five vehicles of Jeep, Tata-Mercedes Benz, Jonga and Nissan makes. Along with Shakthiman and Vahan 1 Ton, these formed the backbone of the Indian Army Mechanical Transport fleet since Independence, serving the Army in all kinds of terrain and operational conditions.

The park also has an Animal Transport Memorial in the form of a sculpture erected in the Equitation Training Area. Designed and created by Tejinder Singh Bauni, a sculptor, in fibre glass with iron reinforcements, the artwork depicts a larger than life convoy of mules and their handlers carrying operational loads in mountainous terrain. The sculpture is 20 ft high and 71 ft long. Three soldiers of nine feet and five mules of 7.5 feet are placed on a pedestal of rock, cement and concrete.

These colossal figures are meant to evoke feelings of pride for the muleteers and animals. Two relief sculptures on either side of the pedestal depict the evolution of this facet of ASC. The Army officials said the Animal Transport Memorial was the first of its kind in Asia.

Asked why Bengaluru was chosen for the Park, Lt Gen Katewa said, “We have a faculty of transport management, who are experts in maintenance, deploying the vehicles and more. They are the ones who give training related to the vehicles. So it is apt that we have it here.” The park will be open to the public on special days with due security measures. School and college students could visit the memorial with the necessary permission.