The location of the statue, Pangong Tso Lake, holds significance as it was the site of scuffle between the Indian Army Soldiers and the troops of the Chinese PLA at the Finger 4 on the North Bank in May 2020 was the reason that till date tensions between India and China along the Line of Actual Control prevails. This newspaper broke the story, and till date, more than 100,000 soldiers are sitting astride the LAC. Though, with time, there has been disengagement at all the standoff points, and patrolling has begun at Depsang and Demchok. The talks to achieve status quo ante at the other positions is still on. As per the sources in the Army, “Unveiling of Chatrapati Shivaji’s statue on the banks of Pangong Tso Lake in Eastern Ladakh was carried out by a Rashtriya Rifles Unit comprising the troops of Maratha Regiment.”The Unit added, “The statue raised within its area of responsibility with the resources voluntarily collected from the serving and retired personnel.” Shivaji Maharaj founded the Maratha Empire and is remembered for his courage, policies and adeptness at battle prowess. Questioning the relevance and positioning of his statue, some veterans opined installation of the status of General Zorawar Singh, the famed Military General of Dogra King Gulab Singh who annexed Ladakh. He is remembered for his prowess in mountain warfare. He even annexed areas of Tibet in his mountain campaigns.
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