BENGALURU: The country’s first Heritage Military Transport Park was inaugurated at the Army Service Corps (ASC) Centre and College here on Monday.
Speaking to reporters after the inauguration, Lieutenant General S P S Katewa, Commandant, ASC Centre and College, said: “This is a tribute to the valiant services provided by the unflinching mechanical warriors of the Indian army’s mechanical transport fleet.
The heritage park is the brain child of Katewa and is aimed to document, exhibit and educate the future generations about the contributions of the mechanical transport feet to the armed forces.
It has displayed five vintage vehicles - Jeep, Jonga, Nissan Vehicles, 1 Ton and Shakthiman - which served the army in all terrain and operational conditions since Independence. However, these vehicles are now not in use and have paved the way to new generation vehicles.
Katewa said they will add more vehicles to the heritage park in the future. “It’s the first heritage military transport park in the country. We are now trying to get more types of decommissioned vehicles from various army bases across the country. All the five vintage vehicles in the park were restored and refurbished at Delhi and later transported to Bengaluru,” he said.
Separately, the Army Service Corps Centre also has an Animal Transport Memorial.
“We have created a monument as a mark of tribute to our silent servers - mules and horses, who have shown onerous responsibility despite innumerable constraints and unfavourable conditions,” said Katewa.
According to officials, the Animal Transport Memorial was designed and created by Tejinder Singh Bauni, a sculptor who is an expert in fibre glass with iron reinforcements.
It depicts a larger than life convoy of mules and their handlers carrying operational loads on a mountainous terrain.
“An imposing 20-feet high and 71-feet long, it stands tall in its pristine environs. The three soldiers of nine feet and five mules of seven and a half feet are placed on a pedestal of rock, cement and concrete.
These colossal figures evoke feelings of pride for the muleteers and brave animals and are a constant and poignant reminder of their indelible mark on the pages of our checkered history. Two relief sculptures on either side of the pedestal depict the evolution of this facet of ASC. Immaculately designed, elegant landscaping and neatly laid out pathways lined with blooms in vibrant hues, lend grace to the solemn memorial,” said a release from ASC.