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NATION JANUARY 21, 2022 | The Indian Eye 6

Merging flames or erasing history?

Amar Jawan monument sparks a heated debate

Several senior veterans favor the merger of flame at the Amar Jawan Jyoti with the one at

the National War Memorial while some opposed it citing the emotional connect with it

OUR BUREAU the eternal flame at India Gate is
part of Indian psyche. “You, I and
New Delhi
our generation grew up saluting our
n a historical move by the Centre brave jawans there. While National
ahead of the Republic Day cele- War Memorial is great, the memories
Ibrations, the Amar Jawan Jyoti of #AmarJawanJyoti are indelible,”
or the “eternal flame” for soldiers he tweeted earlier in the day.
at India Gate was merged with the Earlier, Congress leader Rahul
torch at the National War Memorial Gandhi on Friday slammed the Cen-
in a ceremony on Friday. A part of tral Government over its decision
the flame was carried to the war me- to extinguish the Amar Jawan Jyoti
morial this afternoon in a ceremony at India Gate in the national capital
that was presided by the Integrated after 50 years and merge it with the
Defense Staff chief Air Marshal Bal- flame at the National War Memorial.
abadhra Radha Krishna. Krishna laid Taking to Twitter, the Congress
a wreath after which a torch was lit MP said, “It is a matter of great sad-
from the Amar Jawan Jyoti and the ness that the immortal flame that
flame doused. used to burn for our brave soldiers
Air Marshal Krishna presided will be extinguished today. Some
over the ceremony at both the loca- people cannot understand patrio-
tions. The Amar Jawan Jyoti flame at the India Gate was put out after burning for 50 years (ANI) tism and sacrifice - never mind. We
Several senior veterans favored will once again light the Amar Jawan
the merger of flame at the Amar Jyoti for our soldiers.” The Amar
Jawan Jyoti with the one at the Na- Jawan Jyoti flame at the India Gate
tional War Memorial while some op- would be extinguished and merged
posed it citing the emotional connect with the flame at the National War
with it. Lieutenant General (Retd) Memorial today.
Vinod Bhatia who served as the Di- Congress MP Manish Tewari
rector General of Military Opera- on Friday also slammed the Central
tions hailed the Centre’s decision Government and said that merging
and said, “it is a good decision”. Amar Jawan Jyoti with War Memori-
“Today is a great occasion, the al Torch means “erasing history”.
Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate is The Congress MP said, “What-
being merged with the National War ever is being done is a national trage-
Memorial. It’s a good decision,” said dy and an attempt to rewrite history.
Bhatia. Amar Jawan Jyoti is the soul of crores
“Amar Jawan Jyoti honors our of people. Merging Amar Jawan Jyo-
soldiers in 1971 for 50 years. We have ti with War Memorial Torch means
a National War Memorial which erasing history. BJP has built the Na-
honors nearly 25,000 soldiers, sailors tional War Memorial, that does not
who made the supreme sacrifices in Air Marshal BR Krishna, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, salutes during a ceremony of merg- mean they can extinguish the Amar
defense of India. The time has come Jawan Jyoti.” “Extinguishing Amar
to shift the Amar Jawan Jyoti to ing Amar Jawan Jyoti flame with flame at National War Memorial, in New Delhi on Friday (ANI) Jawan Jyoti tantamounts to extin-
merge it with National War Memo- guishing history For it commentates
rial,” he said. cer said the controversy was needless Another veteran Lt Gen PJS sacrifice of those 3,483 brave sol-
Former Chief of Integrated De- as the flame of Amar Jawan Jyoti is Pannu (Retd) said, “This is a very diers who cleaved Pakistan into 02
fense Staff Lt Gen Satish Dua (Retd) being merged with that of National good decision taken by the govern- parts and redrew the map of South
supported the move saying The War Memorial, it is not being extin- ment, shifting is not the question, the Asia post-partition It is ironical that
merger of Amar Jawan Jyoti with the guished. honor lies where the names of the in 50th year of liberation of Bangla-
National War Memorial is the right “National War Memorial is the soldiers are written. The National desh,” he added.
decision to make. designated war memorial at national War Memorial is the only place the He further said that the govern-
“There should be no controver- level to pay homage all India’s brave- soldiers should be honored. ment seems to be working overtime
sy. National War Memorial has a na- hearts, past present or future,” he Air Force veteran Air Vice Mar- to erase India’s finest hour in post-in-
tional character,” he added. The offi- added. shal Manmohan Bahadur said that dependent history.

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