Ranjit Singh bust’s unveiling in France today, no invite to maker

Vikramdeep Johal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 16

A 110-kg bronze bust of Maharaja Ranjit Singh will be unveiled tomorrow in the French coastal town of St Tropez — the birthplace of his trusted warrior, General Jean-Francois Allard.

The high-profile ceremony in Allard Square will feature India’s Ambassador to France Mohan Kumar, St Tropez Mayor Jean-Pierre Tuveri, Deputy Mayor Henri-Prevost Allard (the General’s great grandson) and other dignitaries. However, conspicuous by his absence will be Prabhat Rai, the Madhya Pradesh-based sculptor who made the bust. Reason: Neither the Punjab Government nor the French authorities extended an invite to him.

Talking to The Tribune on the phone, Rai said, “I was expecting a call to be part of this historic event. But it never came.”

Rai (53) is feeling left out particularly because he is the state government’s go-to guy for sculptures. The statues displayed at the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur memorial in Chappar Chiri (Mohali) have been crafted by Prabhat Murti Kala Kendra, the nationally renowned centre he has been running in Gwalior for the past two decades. He is also working on the statues of Valmiki and BR Ambedkar, to be installed at the Ram Tirath temple in Amritsar and the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, respectively.

The Ranjit Singh bust — nearly 3 ft tall — was handed over by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to Henri-Prevost Allard during the latter’s Chandigarh visit in July. Rai’s works are spread across the country, but this is the first time that one of his creations will be displayed abroad.

“Since this was a special assignment, I charged just Rs 75,000. Usually, it’s in the range of Rs 3-5 lakh for such busts,” Rai said.

When contacted, NPS Randhawa, Director, Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Punjab, said, “Why should the government send an invite to Rai? He didn’t gift the sculpture to us. We bought it from him and gifted it to France.”