Indian Army tank to be installed at Kadri War Memorial soon

Mangaluru: A decommissioned T-55 tank that served in the 1965 and 1971 India-Pakistan wars will be placed on a dedicated platform built at the Kadri War Memorial here soon.The Indian Army tank was brought to the city from Pune in Aug last year, following a request from Dakshina Kannada MP Brijesh Chowta to defence minister Rajnath Singh. However, the tank was kept on the Circuit House premises, covered with a plastic sheet.About a formal inauguration of the exhibit, Capt Chowta told TOI: “We have not yet decided on the date, it could well be Kargil Vijay Diwas or some other suitable day.” He added that most of the civil works had been completed.“The tank has been properly maintained. Painting and other related refurbishing work has been carried out. Henceforth, Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) will take care of it,” he further said.MCC commissioner Ravichandra Naik said the war exhibit will be opened to the public within two months.Kadri War Memorial not have a heavy armoured vehicle on display until now. The original memorial site built in 1995 at Kadri hills was simply an open, dedicated space meant to pay tribute to the armed forces.The T-55, a Soviet-designed medium tank, was procured from the Soviet Union during the Indo-Pak war for the liberation of what is now known as Bangaldesh, in 1971. A similar T-55 tank is also on display at Manjusha Museum in Dharmasthala.END