National War Memorial approved: Defence Minister

Finally, plans for National War Memorial approved: Defence Minister
Reported by Sudhi Ranjan Sen, Edited by Amit Chaturvedi | Updated: August 17, 2012 17:38 IST
New Delhi: The long-delayed national War Memorial for Indian soldiers, first proposed in the 60s, has been cleared by a group of ministers handled to manage the project. It will be constructed next to the India Gate in New Delhi, a location preferred by the armed forces.
Defence Minister AK Antony told reporters today, "Most hurdles for the construction of War Memorial has been cleared." While the armed forces wanted the war memorial to be built at India Gate at the centre of the capital, the Urban Development Ministry and other bodies like the New Delhi Municipal Corporation had objected, saying that the construction would mar the landscape that includes Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Indian Parliament. Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy was among the group of ministers who were appointed in 2009 to resolve differences of opinion. They have agreed that the layout of the memorial will be organic to the India Gate vista; it will surround the main canopy or chhattri at India Gate, and will list the names of thousands of soldiers who died in the line of duty.
The Union Cabinet is expected to formally approve the construction in the next few weeks.
India Gate and the eternal flame there, the Amar Jawan Jyoti, which remembers the unknown solider, was built by the British in honour of Indians who died during World War 1. Since its independence, India has gone through five wars; soldiers have died in counter-insurgency operations, too. But there has been no memorial built in their honour.
Armed forces will now consult design experts to finalise the design.
National War Memorial approved: Defence Minister

Air Force Band entralls spectators

Air Force Band playing for the gather public at India Gate in New Delhi on December 26, 2010. Photo no.CNR - 35762

Air Force Bands to Perform at India Gate on Sunday

Saturday, December 25, 2010 Ministry of Defence
PIB 17:39 IST
A 30-member IAF Band will enthrall audiences and visitors to Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate on Sunday, December 26. With a combination of Jazz and Military Brass musical instruments, the air warriors will play western, Indian classical, martial, patriotic and popular Hindi tunes during a ninety-minute performance. The free display will commence at 4 p.m. TKS/-
Air Force Bands to Perform at India Gate on Sunday

Vijay Diwas- Report from various cities

Click here to read report from various cities
Vijay Diwas is commemorated every 16 December in India as it marks the decisive military victory over Arch-rival Pakistan achieved on 16 December, 1971. The anniversary of Vijay Divas is observed across India by paying rich tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the nation. Most important celebration is held in nation's capital New Delhi where Defense Minister and head of all three wings of the armed forces pays homage at Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate.

BANGALORE: Thursday is Vijay Diwas. The National Military Memorial (NMM) park in the Indira Gandhi musical park premises originally scheduled to be completed by this day is still under construction. Though work is going on at a brisk pace, the memorial will be delayed by atleast a month. Which means it will not be ready even by Republic Day, the second deadline. Work on this Rs 15-cr memorial park started in August first week. More than a month was lost on legal issues. When work resumed, rainy days followed.

"There is some delay due to the rains. The pits dug up for the underground motivation hall were inundated. It's a nine-month contract that's on till May, 2011. But we had planned to finish it by January 26. But now, it might extend to February end,'' a BDA engineer told TOI. According to BDA estimates, 30% of the project is completed.

"We are sure not happy with the delay. We still hope to dedicate the memorial to the martyrs and their families on the Republic Day,'' Rajeev Chandrasekhar, chairman, National Military Memorial Committee, said.
Read more: The Times of India War memorial may open only after R-Day

When will we honour our soldiers?

Thursday, December 16, 2010, Chandigarh, India
Today is the 39th anniversary of the greatest victory India has won, not just since Independence but also in the last hundreds of years. It was on this day in 1971 that the Indian Military won resounding victories in all theatres of that war, with the crowning glory being the capture of East Pakistan; the birth of Bangladesh; and taking more than 93,000 Pakistani soldiers as prisoners of war. It is on this date that the victory is celebrated as Vijay Diwas, but sadly only by our armed forces.

On this day, in military stations, onboard ships and at airbases, military personnel remember the officers and jawans who had fought wars for the nation, some sacrificing themselves and others their limbs. It is a day of rejoicing and jubilation, as also of reflection and remembrance. Yet only 1.3 million souls who don the uniform, nearly three million veterans and their families commemorate this important day. The rest, comprising over a billion Indians, are not even aware of it, thanks to the government that has no time to even commend the soldiers for their sacrifices. What a monumental shame!

Most European and Commonwealth countries, celebrate November 11 as Remembrance Day, while in the US it is Veterans Day. On November 11, 1918, an armistice (truce) was signed that ended World War I. On this day these countries honour their men and women in uniform. Grateful nations, led by the governing elite, recall the gallantry, sacrifices and the selfless spirit of their soldiers.

Similarly, most nations have days or weeks earmarked for felicitating their soldiers and veterans. All military personnel who had fought, died and lost limbs in wars and battles for their nations are honoured. It is a treat to see how proudly nations place their military men and women on pedestals, recall their exploits and honour them. There are parades with heads of states presiding, where the populace cheer and express their gratitude for the soldiers of yore. There are memorial services; visits to the sites where great battles were fought; escorted tours for the veterans still living, where much is made of them; and speeches extolling the bravery of soldiers and how the nation is beholden to them.

What do we do in India? Practically nothing, because our leaders are not bothered with such niceties as honour, sacrifice and national pride as it distracts them from their favourite pastimes, which are too well known to be reiterated. The Commander-in-Chief of our republic, the President, remains ensconced in the hallowed precincts of Rashtrapati Bhawan, instead of meeting a selection of military personnel at an "At Home"; the Prime Minister does not visit jawans guarding our inhospitable borders, or meets and discuss the problems of the war disabled; and governors and chief ministers do not even know it is a special day for the nation, not just for the military. A few years ago, political leaders stooped to the lowest levels possible when they dubbed the two recent wars as the "Congress War" and the "BJP War"!

Then there are the bureaucrats, the intimate advisors to political leaders. They are past masters at ignoring or playing down sentiments and coming up with ingenious arguments as to why there is nothing to celebrate! At one stage, they stated that any such celebration may upset the dialogue we were then having with Pakistan. They also had the temerity to question the need to celebrate something that happened decades back!

On Vijay Diwas, the defence minister makes an appearance at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate to lay a wreath. He does so oblivious of the fact that he is laying a wreath at a place constructed by the British when India was a colony. He does not even feel the incongruity of having no war memorial for soldiers who have made sacrifices in the wars fought bitterly in the post-Independence era, even after six decades of Independence. What a monumental shame!

After Independence the government decided that instead of following the Commonwealth, India will have its own day for commending soldiers. On August 28, 1949, a committee chose December 7 and christened it as the Armed Forces Flag Day. However, the significance of the day, viz. "commemorating the sacrifices of the soldiers" was soon forgotten. It became just a day for collecting funds, ostensibly for the welfare of the soldiers. The status today is that state governments are unable to collect even the small targets laid down and the bulk of the funds are contributed by soldiers, seemingly for their own welfare! How ironical in an era when nine percent rate of growth of the GDP is announced with much fanfare every other day. Is the nation still in penury that collections are needed to provide some welfare to the soldiers?

Over six years ago, a Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (ESW) was created to give focused attention to welfare programmes for ex-servicemen and their dependants. In reality it was a cosmetic exercise as three existing entities of the Ministry of Defence merely started reporting to another set of bureaucrats. Even after six years, except for garnering additional vacancies for their cadre, the department is yet to come out with a single programme for the welfare of veterans. They also commenced looking after the pensions of veterans and the mess they have made post--Sixth Pay Commission is too well known.

Here is a department tailor-made to make much of the soldiers' sacrifices by conceiving a comprehensive and long-term plan to commemorate their valiant deeds, not only on Vijay Diwas, but also on other such occasions. The need is for vision, empathy and dedication, which requires staffing this department by military personnel. They know what soldiers want and how best to meet their needs. The incongruity of welfare of soldiers by the bureaucracy needs immediate burial. Let us do so without delay and start honouring our soldiers.
Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi (Retd)
The writer is a former Vice Chief of the Indian Army
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20101216/edit.htm#7

Amar Jawan Jyoti- IAF Band to Enthrall Audiences

Thursday, December 09, 2010 17:53 IST
A 30-member IAF Band will enthrall audiences and visitors to Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate on Saturday, December 11. With a combination of Jazz and Military Brass musical instruments, the air warriors will play western, Indian classical, martial, patriotic and popular Hindi tunes during a ninety-minute performance. The free display will commence at 4 p.m.
Air Force Band to Perform at India Gate on Saturday

अमर जवान ज्योति-वायुसेना ग़ुलाम बनाना दर्शकों को बैंड
गुरुवार, 9 दिसंबर 2010 17:53 IST
एक 30 सदस्यीय भारतीय वायु सेना के बैंड ग़ुलाम बनाना दर्शकों और शनिवार, 11 दिसंबर को इंडिया गेट पर अमर जवान ज्योति पर आगंतुकों होगा. जाज और सैन्य पीतल संगीत वाद्ययंत्र का एक संयोजन के साथ, वायु योद्धाओं एक नब्बे मिनट का प्रदर्शन के दौरान पश्चिमी, भारतीय शास्त्रीय संगीत, मार्शल, देशभक्ति और लोकप्रिय हिंदी धुनों खेलेंगे. मुफ्त प्रदर्शन 4 बजे अपराह्न शुरू होगा
वायु सेना के बैंड इंडिया गेट पर शनिवार को प्रदर्शन करने के लिए

India's war memorial: Historical perspective and present status

Ajai Shukla: India's war memorial - Seal the deal
Rajeev Chandrasekhar's plan for the war memorial is a good idea
Ajai Shukla / New Delhi March 23, 2010, 0:09 IST

Amongst the many issues that scar relations between India’s military and its civilian overseers — pay scales and pensions; the failure to buy adequate weaponry; and the military’s marginalisation in framing security policy, to name a few — the most easily resolved is the military’s longstanding demand for a national war memorial to honour the 20,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen who have sacrificed their lives while defending independent India. A broad section of the urban public echoes this plea.

The demand is for a prominent memorial on New Delhi’s Central Vista, which can be visited freely by the Indian public, and where wreathes can be offered by national leaders on occasions like the Republic Day, and by visiting foreign dignitaries who choose to do so. The current memorial, the Amar Jawan Jyoti, is merely an add-on to the India Gate, an imposing 42-metre high British structure, built in 1921, to honour the 90,000 Indian soldiers who died in the First World War.

The irony is evident: the British exalted the memory of Indians who died for the empire; but India finds it bothersome to suitably commemorate those who fell in service of the republic.

Anyone who has travelled along India’s borders with China and Pakistan cannot have missed the lonely memorials at the places where Indian troops fought and died. Amongst the most stirring is the stark monument to Major Shaitan Singh and his 111 Kumaoni soldiers who battled to the last, holding up a major Chinese advance on the desolate, windswept plateau of Chushul. This Indian hero, a winner of the Param Vir Chakra, is honoured only in that unvisited war memorial near Chushul. No national memorial is inscribed with the name of Major Shaitan Singh.

The proposal for a “National War Memorial”, as I accidentally discovered in the Assam state archives in Guwahati, predates independent India. A confidential memo, issued on March 3, 1945, from the War Department in New Delhi (in File No. 110-C/45, entitled “Indian National War Memorial”, in the Governor’s Secretariat, Confidential Branch) declares that the Government of India (GoI) has been examining “the question of the form that an Indian National War Memorial should take”. The memo orders that “the establishment of a Military Academy on the lines of the United States Military Academy at West Point for the education and basic training together of future officers of the Royal Indian Navy, the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force would be the most suitable form for the memorial to take”.

In short, New Delhi proposed that what was to become the famous National Defence Academy (NDA), which is still the bedrock of Indian officer training, would also serve as India’s National War Memorial.

The British government of India further proposed that “funds for the academy would be provided by public subscription and supplemented by the state”. It urged all provincial governments (as state governments were then called) to support the scheme, establish scholarships, encourage the public to contribute, and to not set up any other war memorials so that the support of the public “may be concentrated on the all-India (war memorial)”.

Shortly afterwards, as the Second World War hurtled towards its denouement in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the War Department in New Delhi directed (vide memo No. F.65/45/W.1, dated June 15, 1945) that the construction of the academy be financed from a gift of 100,000 pounds, received from the Government of Sudan in gratitude for the Indian Army’s role in freeing Sudan from Italian occupation.

An Indian National War Memorial Working Committee was quickly constituted, which sent out a questionnaire to the provinces asking for their views on a range of subjects, including the setting up of feeder schools for the proposed academy-cum-war memorial. The questionnaire asked, keeping in mind the “urgent need in India for leaders in all walks of life, including the fighting services”, should “practical steps not be taken to meet the requirement of the immediate future by the establishment of a certain number of residential high schools”.

Today, 65 years later, the military community, especially officers from the NDA, will recognise that these proposals have been implemented in full. The Sudan Block, a magnificent basalt and granite structure, topped with a Jodhpur red sandstone dome, is the central edifice around which the academy stands. Generations of cadets, including this columnist, have dozed restfully through lectures in the Sudan Block’s cool classrooms. Many of those cadets entered the NDA from 19 Sainik Schools across the country, the network of “feeder schools” proposed in 1945.

Lost along the way, fortuitously, is the proposal for the NDA to constitute India’s National War Memorial. A training academy is a living organism that shapes the leaders of tomorrow; bursting with life, it is ill-suited to be a sombre memorial.

Today, with the government unwilling to concede the space for a memorial on New Delhi’s Central Vista, Karnataka MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar, has suggested a Vietnam Wall-style memorial, inscribed with the names of India’s fallen soldiers, on a 50-60 acre site alongside Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat. The design, which Chandrasekhar submitted to the prime minister last week, includes an eternal flame, a 24x7 ceremonial military guard, a memorial wall, a martyrs’ museum, and large, landscaped areas that would allow schoolchildren and other visitors a pleasant day at the memorial. If the army wants the country to know about and to remember its sacrifices, this is the way to do it.
Mr.Rajeev Chandrashekhar is the son of Air Commodore (retd) M.K. Chandrashekhar who served in the Air Examination Board (AEB), among other appointments.
Ajai Shukla: India's war memorial - Seal the deal

Perspective by Veteran
1. 'Amar Jawan Jyoti' is dominantly placed and treated as National War Memorial by the Indian Govt, solemn for all national ceremonies. Can there be more suitable a place? Why decisions of 20s/40s can’t be reinforced or reviewed by the Govt. of Indep India? We need to rationalise this. In any case, most of the States have their War Memorials.
2. 'National War Museum' too is pending. How many Regiments would part with their prime souvenirs to be displayed in the Museum as and when set by the Govt denuding their Centre(s), Officers Messes, Offices, HQ, etc. How would it look w/o the prime souvenirs? I was part of these discussions a few years back. We need to think afresh.

Brig Sukhwindar Singh (Retd)
www.IndianDefenceIndustry.com

India pays homage to its martyrs

Posted on Fri , 15 Jan '10

The Indian army today commemorated its 62nd Foundation Day by paying homage to soldier at the country's largest war memorial known as the Amar Jawan Jyoti in New Delhi. Chiefs of the three wings of the armed forces, General Deepak Kapoor, chief of army staff, Admiral Nirmal Verma, navy chief and Air Chief Marshal PV Naik, chief of the air staff, offered floral tributes at the Amar Jawan Jyoti. Army Day is observed every year on January 15 to commemorate Indian General, Field Marshal K.M.Cariappa's taking over as the commander-in-chief of the Indian army from Sir Francis Butcher, the last British commander, in 1949.
India pays homage to its martyrs to mark 62nd army day: click here to view video

Indian Army commemorates 61st foundation day

New Delhi: The Indian Army commemorated its 61st Foundation Day Thursday by paying homage to martyred soldiers.

Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor, Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshall Fali Homi Major paid floral tributes at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate here.

Army Day is celebrated on Jan 15 every year to commemorate the appointment in 1949 of General K.M. Cariappa as commander-in-chief of the Indian Army - the first Indian officer to hold the post.

On the occasion, the army chief took the salute at a parade held at the Delhi Cantonment. He also presented Sena Medals for gallantry and unit citations.

Addressing the gathering, General Kapoor said: "The country, especially in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, has been facing challenges from elements who want to destroy peace in India and we are working to tackle it."

The Army Day parade showcased technological prowess and achievements of the Indian Army. Several serving and retired defence officers were present on the occasion.

Source: Indo-Asian News Service
Indian Army commemorates 61st foundation day

Army Chief, Gen Deepak Kapoor has commended the services of 392 personnel, while Lt Gen N Thamburaj Army's Vice Chief has commended the services of 176 personnel. These awards of Commendation Cards have been announced on the eve of the Army Day.
Army Personnel Commended by Army's Chief and Vice Chief

Homage to Military Martyrs at Delhi

Sure some of us are working, some in our own business, some are busy golfing and some doing domestic chores. BUT REMEMBER, if YOU don't make it to pay homage to OUR martyrs, then YOU have no business cribbing about the Nation OR the Politicians of having forgotten you and our Field Marshals. Be present at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at 1200 hours IST.

View from India Gate

A spectacular view of Rajpath from the top of the India Gate, during the 59th Republic Day Parade, in New Delhi on January 26, 2008 and The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh salutes the brave soldiers at Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate.