- Remembering an outstanding son of the soil
The news about the erection of a life-size statue of Ranjit Singh at Lahore has been received without much controversy. Gifted to the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) by the SK Foundation UK the statue would further promote brotherly relations with the Sikh community. Ranjit Singh conquered Lahore without shedding a drop of blood. Unlike his predecessors, he ordered his soldiers not to loot the city. Maharaja Ranjit Singh is known for putting an end to the lawlessness prevailing in the province and securing Punjab against foreign marauders who frequently plundered Lahore and other cities. He was a shrewd statesman who managed to keep the advancing British power at arms length both through diplomacy and by maintaining a strong army trained by European officers. Ranjit Singh was by and large a secular ruler whose court included a most influential Muslim minister. The Punjab artillery too was commanded by a Muslim. The Maharaja therefore invokes a strong sense of pride not only in Sikhs living in Pakistan, India and abroad but also among many Muslims in Pakistani Punjab.
Now that a state-mandated 9-foot statue to commemorate a ruler considered a hero by many Punjabis has been installed, allowances will need to be made if other provinces attempt to do the same. For example there is the case of Nawab Muzaffar Khan of Multan who died fighting along with five of his sons while defending the city against Ranjit Singh’s army. In Sindh, Raja Dahir is considered a war hero by many Sindhi nationalists. They are demanding through social media a similar memorial for a son of the soil who died defending his motherland.
India is today in the grip of Hindu nationalism and an intolerant BJP government. Stories about the lynching of members of minority communities particularly Muslims continue to appear in the media. Names of a number of cities and urban streets with Muslim connotations have been changed. Ranjit Singh’s statue on the other hand conveys a message of religious tolerance. The move by Pakistan is meant to honour an outstanding non Muslim. This is in accordance with the Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of Pakistan being a modern and inclusive country.
