NEW DELHI: The government has rejected the contention that Amar Jawan Jyoti has been extinguished and asserted on Friday that the flame honouring the soldiers who laid down their lives in the 1971 war has been merged with the flame at the National War Memorial in the vicinity.
On a day when opposition parties criticised the government for allegedly extinguishing the “eternal flame”, official sources dubbed the allegation as misinformation. They said the merger of the Jyoti with the flame at the National War Memorial will mark a tribute to the fallen soldiers befitting their sacrifice.
They pointed out that the Amar Jawan Jyoti, which was lit in the honour of the soldiers killed in the 1971 war with Pakistan, did not have the names of the martyrs. “It was an odd thing to see that the flame at Amar Jawan Jyoti paid homage to the martyrs of the 1971 and other wars but none of their names are present there,” a source said.
The names inscribed on the India Gate are of only some martyrs who fought for the British in the World War-I and the Anglo-Afghan War, and thus are a symbol of our colonial past, sources said.
“The names of all Indian martyrs from all the wars, including 1971 and wars before and after it are housed at the National War Memorial. Hence it is a true ‘shraddhanjali’’to have the flame paying tribute to martyrs there,” a source said.
In a dig at the Opposition, sources remarked that it is ironic that people who did not make a National War Memorial for seven decades are now making a hue and cry when a permanent and fitting tribute is being made to the martyrs, sources said.
Lt General ( retd) Satish Dua who oversaw the construction of National War Museum welcomed the decision on merger of the two flames. “It gives me great satisfaction that the eternal flame of Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate is being merged with National War Museum,” tweeted the retired General.
He further said: “India Gate is a memorial to the fallen heroes of the First World War. The Amar Jawan Jyoti was added in 1972 as we did not have another memorial. National War Memorial pays homage to the Indian bravehearts after Independence. All homage ceremonies had shifted to NWM already.”
On a day when opposition parties criticised the government for allegedly extinguishing the “eternal flame”, official sources dubbed the allegation as misinformation. They said the merger of the Jyoti with the flame at the National War Memorial will mark a tribute to the fallen soldiers befitting their sacrifice.
They pointed out that the Amar Jawan Jyoti, which was lit in the honour of the soldiers killed in the 1971 war with Pakistan, did not have the names of the martyrs. “It was an odd thing to see that the flame at Amar Jawan Jyoti paid homage to the martyrs of the 1971 and other wars but none of their names are present there,” a source said.
The names inscribed on the India Gate are of only some martyrs who fought for the British in the World War-I and the Anglo-Afghan War, and thus are a symbol of our colonial past, sources said.
“The names of all Indian martyrs from all the wars, including 1971 and wars before and after it are housed at the National War Memorial. Hence it is a true ‘shraddhanjali’’to have the flame paying tribute to martyrs there,” a source said.
In a dig at the Opposition, sources remarked that it is ironic that people who did not make a National War Memorial for seven decades are now making a hue and cry when a permanent and fitting tribute is being made to the martyrs, sources said.
Lt General ( retd) Satish Dua who oversaw the construction of National War Museum welcomed the decision on merger of the two flames. “It gives me great satisfaction that the eternal flame of Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate is being merged with National War Museum,” tweeted the retired General.
He further said: “India Gate is a memorial to the fallen heroes of the First World War. The Amar Jawan Jyoti was added in 1972 as we did not have another memorial. National War Memorial pays homage to the Indian bravehearts after Independence. All homage ceremonies had shifted to NWM already.”
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