A museum dedicated to war hero and Victoria Cross awardee late Ganju Lama has been set up by his family in his native Sangmoo village in South Sikkim. A statue of a lama known as the 'Tank Killer' was also erected for shooting down two Japanese tanks with an anti-tank weapon in World War II.
The museum, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, displays medals, uniforms, artefacts, souvenirs and memorabilia connected to the soldier. Mr Tamang congratulated the Lama's family members for their achievement and described the establishment of the museum and statue as a "historic event". He announced that the stories of Lamas and other brave men and women would be included in the school curriculum so that, the students would know more about them.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government would include the museum on the tourism map and provide guides for the visitors. Born as Gyamtso Shangdarpa, Lama joined the British Indian Army at the age of 17. He was awarded the war Medal two years later in 1944.
After independence, he remained with the 11th Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army until his retirement in 1968. After his retirement, he was appointed Honorary ADC to the President of India for life. Later he established a school in his village and engaged in social work. He died in his village on June 30, 2000.
A gate of an army complex in Gangtok was also named after him. His son Pema Ledya said that many people may have forgotten about Ganju Lama, but the museum would help spread his stories to the world. He thanked the Chief Minister for inaugurating the museum and the Indian Army for helping the family set it up.