If there is an institution that is deeply respected and held in high regard by the entire nation, it has to be the country’s armed forces. The armed forces have time and again proved their worth and have warded off constant threats that challenged the sovereignty and integrity of India. The armed forces have successfully kept both the internal and external enemies at bay. The nation as such has a deep sense of gratitude towards thousands of those heroes who gave the supreme sacrifice in safeguarding the country’s unity and integrity. However, there was no substantial effort on the part of the government to pay tribute to the fallen heroes of the nation.
Finally, the government is all set to institutionalise the nation’s gratitude towards those who gave the supreme sacrifice so that the country’s territorial sovereignty was protected and the citizens of the country enjoyed the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms. PM Modi is going to dedicate the National War Memorial to the nation in a ceremonial function today. The National War Memorial will be inaugurated by lighting the flame positioned at bottom of the stone-made obelisk. PM Modi is also expected to address the ex-servicemen on this occasion. The complex which is spread over 40 acres will be unveiled by PM Modi. The Memorial is a commemoration of the supreme sacrifice made by the country’s soldiers and the names of 25,942 martyrs will be inscribed in stone for eternity.
The Memorial will pay tribute to the fallen heroes and bravehearts of the Sino-India war 1962, Indo-Pak wars of 1947, 1965 and 1971, IPKF operations in Sri Lanka and the 1999 Kargil war. A senior official said, “The prime minister will dedicate the memorial to the nation on February 25. The defence minister, chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force will be among the dignitaries present on the occasion.” He added that other cabinet ministers are also expected to attend the event. The National War Memorial is going to be inaugurated near India Gate, which itself is a war memorial dedicated to the soldiers who died during the First World War (1914-1918) and the Third Anglo-Afghan War (1919).
The National War Memorial will comprise of four concentric circles, viz., the ‘Amar Chakra (circle of immortality)’, the ‘Veerta Chakra (circle of bravery)’, the ‘Tyag Chakra (circle of sacrifice)’ and the ‘Rakshak Chakra (circle of protector). As per the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, Lt Gen P S Rajeshwar, the Amar Jawan Jyoti built in 1972 to honour those martyred in the 1971 Indo-Pak war will continue to be there. According to a senior official, the Memorial has been constructed at a cost of Rs. 176 crore and the design was selected through a global competition.
The National War Memorial is going to maintain the heritage look of the India Gate complex. The central part of the War Memorial Complex has been built in a sunken plot. Names of the 25,942 martyrs have been inscribed across 16 walls. It will bear the name, regiment and rank of the fallen heroes.
The obelisk stands erect right in the centre of the complex, an eternal flame and six bronze murals depicting famous battles fought by the Indian Army, Navy and the Indian Air Force. Prime Minister Modi had spoken about the National War Memorial in 2014. Busts of 21 Param Veer Chakra (highest gallantry award in wartime) awardees have also been installed at the Memorial. It includes three living awardees namely, Sub Maj (Hony Capt) Bana Singh (Retd.), Sub Major Yogendra Singh Yadav and Sub Sanjay Kumar. In his programme, ‘Man Ki Bat’, PM Modi spoke about the Memorial and said that not having such a memorial had always pained and surprised him.
Such a Memorial was a long-pending demand of the Indian Armed Forces and had been approved by the present government in 2015. An official statement released after a cabinet meeting under the chairmanship of the prime minister had stated, “This government will be establishing a war memorial and a museum with a deep sense of gratitude to honour those brave soldiers, who laid down their lives.”
Modi government deserves to be applauded for keeping the commitment to build the National War Memorial. The government and the citizenry can never fully give back for what the armed forces do for us. However, this is a much needed and long overdue effort at paying tribute to those who have given their blood and sweat to keep this nation going.