Arunachal Pradesh to commemorate unity with Major Khathing Museum and Sardar Patel Statue unveiling

Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday will celebrate unity. Union Defence minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate Major Ralengnao Bob Khathing Museum of Valour and unveiling of Desh Ka Vallabh, the statue of Bharat Ratna Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Tawang.

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh will also attend the programme. Chief minister Pema Khandu stated in X, “The heroic deed of Major Ralengnao Bob Khathing, who bravely led an expedition in February 1951 to bring Indian administration in Tawang, has no parallel in human history. What 'Iron Man' Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel did as India's first Home Minister by integrating several princely states into the country leaves us forever indebted to him I on behalf of the people of Arunachal Pradesh heartily welcome Hon Defence Minister @rajnathsingh ji on the pious land of dawn-lit mountains. The inauguration of Major Ralengnao Bob Khathing Museum of Valour and unveiling of Desh Ka Vallabh, the statue of Bharat Ratna Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Tawang, by him in the august presence of Hon'ble Manipur CM Shri @NBirenSingh ji and other dignitaries will be cherished by us for ages to come.”

Khandu last minth said that ‘Tawang, in fact, is the last gift to the nation by the first Home Minister of the country, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel’ while expressing regret that the fact was lost in history.


Khandu said that contributions made by Sardar Patel at the highest level and Major Bob Khathing at the ground level in bringing Tawang under the rule of India has never been recognized and therefore remained unknown to the people.

“This propelled us to conduct exhaustive research and bring to the fore the contributions of Sardar Patel and Major Khathing by establishing the Major Ralengnao Bob Khathing museum at Tawang,” he informed.

He expressed gratitude to the riders of the Soul of India ride, which is a part of the process in establishing the museum.

Recognizing the need for the museum to convey the emotion of One Nation and narrate the broader story of India’s unity and diversity, a ‘Soul of India’ installation was conceived as part of the museum, which would house soil from iconic locations in each state and union territory, connected to India’s freedom struggle.

He informed that the plan is to inaugurate the museum on 31st October, which is celebrated as the National Unity Day commemorating Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary. “We are working to invite Home Minister Rajnath Singh to inaugurate the museum in presence of Chief of Defence Staff Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi and chief ministers or their representatives of the Northeastern states,” Khandu said.

Tawang shares borders with China and has fallen briefly under Chinese control in 1962. China has often claimed Arunachal as part of south Tibet.