Gen Allard's sculpture to be installed in Amritsar
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Thursday directed the Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department to finalise the modalities for installation of a sculpture of legendary French General Jean Francois Allard in Amritsar.
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French General Jean Francois Allard[/caption]
General Allard headed the cavalry 'Fauj-e-Khas' of Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
The chief minister issued the directive during a meeting with a French delegation comprising Henri Prevost Allard, the deputy mayor of Saint Tropez in charge of tourism and lineal descendant of General Allard, as well as council president of Sikhs de France Ranjit Singh.
Notably, Henri Allard is the fourth generation of General Allard's lineage.
The initiative would help inculcate in the younger generation the knowledge of late General's courage, Singh said.
A befitting tribute to the great military strategist, the sculpture would serve as a link in further strengthening the close ties between Saint Tropez and Punjab, France and India, he said.
The visiting delegation extended an invitation to the chief minister to be the guest of honour at the annual gathering at Saint Tropez in June next year, to propagate the legacy of India-French military history.
Singh thanked the delegation for the same but expressed his inability to attend due to his busy schedule in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.
Responding to the request of the delegation, Singh, however, agreed to attend the function to be held in Delhi in December this year for the formal announcement of the annual gathering.
The chief minister presented to the delegation members his book 'The Last Sunset', which chronicles the rise and fall of the Sikh empire besides the events leading up to Anglo Sikh Wars and the exile of Maharaj Duleep Singh.
It may be recalled that a sculpture of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was installed at Saint Tropez, the birth place of General Allard, in 2016 to promote a sense of goodwill, bonhomie and friendship between the two countries. PTI
