The iconic Amar Jawan Jyoti (AJJ) which was inaugurated after the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh to pay homage to the unknown soldier was extinguished on Friday as a part of the flame was merged with the flame at the National War Memorial (NWM) even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that a statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will be set up at India Gate coinciding with his 125th birth anniversary.
In the face of protest from the Congress and some soldier associations, Government sources said the AAJ was “not extinguished” and only “merged” with the flame at NWM.
At a ceremony presided over by Air Marshal B.R. Krishna Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) on Friday afternoon, a torch with the flame at AJJ was carried with full military honours and merged with the flame at NWM.
The NWM was inaugurated in February 2019 and is located at the ‘C’ Hexagon near India Gate and was built in memory of soldiers who laid down their lives for the country in the post-independence period. It has names of over 25,000 soldiers inscribed, who laid down their lives post independence.
In a change of tradition since the unveiling of the NWM, before commencement of the Republic Day parade in 2020 Mr. Modi paid homage to fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the flame of the immortal warrior at the NWM, instead of the AJJ at India Gate.
India Gate designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens was unveiled by Lord Irwin on 12 February 1931. It was built to honour the over 83,000 soldiers of British India who died from 1914 to 1921. India Gate has 13,516 names inscribed all over the monument. The AJJ was set up to pay homage for the soldiers who laid down their lives in the 1971 war. The memorial of the unknown soldier, an inverted bayonet with a helmet structure, along with the AJJ was inaugurated under the arch of India Gate by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on January 26, 1972 to commemorate India’s victory in the 1971 in which 93,000 Pakistani Prisoners of War surrendered and saw the birth of independent nation, Bangladesh.
Downplaying the controversy that emerged on the issue, a Government source said it was an odd thing to see that the flame at Amar Jawan Jyoti payed homage to the martyrs of the 1971 & other wars but none of their names are present there. “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,” the source stated.
Stating that the India Gate is a “symbol of our colonial past” as it has only some of those who fought for the British in the World War 1 & the Anglo Afghan War, the source added, “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 our martyrs.”
Since inauguration of the NWM, all homage ceremonies are being conducted only at the National War Memorial. However, defence officials had then stated that the AJJ would be kept burning and would be used for ceremonial occasions and official visits.
Commenting on the incident on social media, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said is a matter of “great sadness” that the immortal flame that used to burn for our brave soldiers “will be extinguished today.”
“Some people cannot understand patriotism and sacrifice - never mind… We will once again light the Amar Jawan Jyoti for our soldiers,” Mr. Gandhi said.
Netaji statue
At a time when the entire nation is marking the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, I am glad to share that his grand statue, made of granite, will be installed at India Gate. This would be a symbol of India’s indebtedness to him, Mr. Modi said on social media. “Till the grand statue of Netaji Bose is completed, a hologram statue of his would be present at the same place. I will unveil the hologram statue on 23rd January, Netaji’s birth anniversary,” he said on Twitter.
The Government recently announced that from this year onwards, the Republic Day celebrations will begin from January 23 instead of January 24 and end January 30 which is Martyrs Day.