On a hot summer afternoon, children play with glee as they stand atop a dilapidated armoured tanks lying on the premises of the Pattabhipuram Municipal High School. The battle-hardened tanks are wrapped in a sheet of dust and withered leaves, but the letters in insignia ‘USA’ stand out.
It’s play time for the kids, who jump up and down the tankers oblivious of their history and when the school bell rings, they run out with shrieks of joy to pick their bags.
The municipal high school at Pattabhipuram, named after freedom fighter Pattabhi Seetharamaiah, is probably among the few places where one can find armoured carriers that seem to stand the test of time.
Out of five armoured tanks, one tank has been moved to the Gandhi Park, opposite the Guntur Municipal Corporation office on Grand Trunk Road.
Two are armoured carriers MK-11 built to withstand firing on battle field and two are anti-aircraft armed stags, while one has the chassis of Cher (Cip) type C1 demonstration car.
While the armoured carriers have remained there for years, the Ministry of Defence had mulled various options, including moving them to Ordnance Depots in South or sell them as scrap. But finally, it has been decided to move them to the Ordnance Depot at Kirki, off the West Coast.
“The five armoured carriers under NCC, Group Headquarters, Guntur will soon be moved out of Guntur and kept at Ordnance Depot at Kirki,” said Group Commander, NCC Group Headquarters, Shaji John.
Pride of R-Day parade
The municipal high school was once the NCC Guntur Group Headquarters and the tanks were kept in vehicle sheds. Many old timers remember the days when the tanks used to be a vital part of the Republic Day parades in 1980s, but for the last 20 years they remain confined to the school. The school was also used as an NCC firing range and the compound walls still bear the bullet marks.
Later, the NCC shifted their Group Headquarters to Syamala Nagar and the GMC constructed a school named after freedom fighter Pattabhi Seetharamaiah, but the war tanks remained there.
For the students, though, the presence of war tanks has always been exciting as they hear from their teachers about the World War-II. “We have been telling the students about the World War-II and its impact on the world’s history and how the war has shaped the world. The tanks have been remnants of a significant war in human history,” says Prabahkar, physical director of the school.