National War Memorial to be finally inaugurated this month

NEW DELHI: The “world-class” National War Memorial (NWM), which will honour the around 26,000 soldiers who have laid down their lives in wars and operations since Independence, is finally set to be inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi here this month.

Sources say the NDA government is planning a major rally of ex-servicemen in the Capital to coincide with the inauguration of the NWM slated for February 25. “In the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, apart from implementation of OROP (one rank, one pension) scheme for ex-servicemen, the BJP will obviously project the NWM as a major achievement as well. Both were promised in the BJP manifesto of 2014,” said a source.

But politics apart, the landscape-style NWM, adjoining the India Gate complex on Rajpath, is now finally ready after being stuck in general politico-bureaucratic apathy after it was proposed by the armed forces around 60 years ago, as was first reported by TOI on January 1.

India Gate was constructed by the British in memory of 84,000 Indian soldiers killed fighting for the Empire in World War-I and the Afghan campaign. The Amar Jawan Jyoti (AJJ), in turn, was built under its arch by the Indira Gandhi government to honour the 3,843 soldiers who died liberating Bangladesh in 1971.

The plan is to progressively shift all national-level functions to pay homage to the fallen soldiers to the NWM from the AJJ. “The thinking is that all major functions can be held at the NWM, while regimental and other events can be conducted at the AJJ, which too has acquired iconic and emotive status over the years,” said another source.

Built for Rs 176 crore after being approved in October 2015, the NWM basically consists of four landscaped concentric circles around a 15-metre tall central obelisk with the eternal flame, bronze and stone murals, graphic panels and busts of the 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees.

With the names of the around 26,000 martyrs inscribed on 1.5-meter high walls, in keeping with the “aesthetics and sanctity” of the Central Vista and India Gate, the four circles are named the Amar Chakra (circle of immortality), Veerta Chakra (circle of bravery), Tyag Chakra (circle of sacrifice) and Suraksha Chakra (circle of protection).

“With India recording around 100 battle casualties every year in counter-insurgency and other operations, the addition of names of martyrs to the NWM will be an ongoing process over the coming years,” said the source.