The iconic Amar Jawan Jyoti (AJJ) at India Gate, 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 its merger with the flame at the National War Memorial (NWM). And Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that a statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose would be set up at India Gate coinciding with his 125th birth anniversary.
In the face of protests from the Congress and some soldier associations, sources in the government said the AAJ was “not extinguished” and only “merged” with the NWM flame.
Congress slams move to shift eternal flame at Amar Jawan Jyoti to National War Memorial
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 the AJJ was carried with full military honours and merged with the NWM flame.
The NWM, inaugurated in February 2019, is located at the ‘C’ Hexagon near India Gate and was built in memory of the soldiers who laid down their lives for the country in the post-Independence period. It has the names of over 25,000 soldiers inscribed on it.
In a change of tradition since the unveiling of the NWM, before the commencement of the Republic Day parade in 2020, Mr. Modi paid homage to the fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the flame of there, instead of at the AJJ.
Ex-servicemen express mixed reactions on merger of Amar Jawan Jyoti with NWM's eternal fame
India Gate, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, was unveiled by Lord Irwin on February 12, 1931. It was built to honour the over 83,000 soldiers of British India who died from 1914 to 1921. It 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 war, in which 93,000 Pakistani prisoners of war surrendered and saw the birth of Bangladesh.
Downplaying the controversy that emerged on the issue, a government source said it was an odd thing to see that the flame at the AJJ paid homage to the martyrs of 1971 and other wars but none of their names were 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.
‘Symbol of colonial past’
India Gate was a “symbol of our colonial past” as it has only some of those who fought for the British in First World War 1 and the Anglo Afghan War, the source noted. “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 the NWM, all homage ceremonies are being conducted only there. However, defence officials had stated that the AJJ would be kept burning and used for ceremonial occasions and official visits.
Mr. Modi said on social media, “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.”
“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 stated.
The government recently announced that from this year onwards, the Republic Day celebrations will begin from January 23 instead of January 24 and end on January 30, Martyrs Day.
