National War Memorial

National War Memorial, at last
The ‘Unknown Soldier’ deserved it
by Lt-Gen Harwant Singh (retd)
IT is more than half a century since the proposal to build a national war memorial at a suitable place in New Delhi was mooted by the defence services. All this time the proposal was being put off for no valid reason. It had been a sustained attempt by successive governments in the Capital to keep the military in the background and, as a policy, never to give due recognition to its services and highlight the achievements and sacrifices made to the nation. The bureaucracy, with a view to keeping the military suppressed, has succeeded in injecting into the political executive the fear of a military takeover of the country. The developments in the neighbouring countries served to reinforce such fears in the minds of the political class.
The media’s role has been anything but laudable. At another level, there has been complete apathy on the part of the public at large and the so-called civil society for building a National War Memorial. After all, it is for the protection and safety of people of this country that these gallant men gave up their lives. Therefore, the idea of National War Museum has been a victim of this policy and attitude of indifference.
India has been the scene of innumerable battles, yet it never evolved a military tradition and resources enough to meet the challenge from invading armies. The soldier was seldom given recognition for his valour and sacrifices. Nations that value freedom and abhor foreign rule remember and honour those who sacrifice their lives for the defence of the country. They honour their martyrs in all possible ways as also build memorials to acknowledge their sacrifices. Unfortunately in India, there has been no tradition or practice to raise memorials to honour those who sacrificed their lives in defence of this land and commemorate battles in which they fell.
The concept of raising war memorials as such was, perhaps, first introduced in India by the British. Some historians have tried to classify the Qutab Minar in Delhi, the Victory Towers in Chittorgarh and Tughlakabad (down South) as a sort of memorials, but that claim is contestable. These were more to honour and highlight the achievements of the king or the conqueror than the common soldier. However, in other parts of the world the tradition of raising memorials in one form or the other has been in vogue from prehistoric times — in the form of ‘Burial Mounds’, ‘Obelisks’, crosses, the female figure as a symbol of victory, statues, structures, arches, etc.
It was the shattering experience of World War I that set in motion the urge to build memorials all over — in every town and village in Europe and elsewhere. In addition to these innumerable memorials, each of these countries, whose soldiers took part in this war, built national war memorials at the most appropriate places. In England, it is next to Whitehall in the heart of London. It is around this time that the concept of an “Unknown Soldier” was evolved and national memorials started being dedicated to him. Arch-de-Triumphe in Paris is the most prominent memorial; it is at this place that the idea of an “Unknown Soldier” was first put into practice. An “Unknown Soldier” lies buried in the Arch complex.
The British built a number of war memorials to commemorate their battle victories against Indian troops. The last great memorial they built to honour the Indian soldiers who fell in World War I is India Gate in New Delhi. While it has the names of all those who laid down their lives in this Great War, on the gate (a memorial arch) are also the manes of British officers who were killed in the NorthWest Frontier. Though some smaller memorials were built in the North-East to honour those who fell defending India against the Japanese offensive across Burma during World War II, no main war memorial could be built to honour the killed Indian troops. Thus, there is no memorial for Indian troops who sacrificed their lives during this war. Many of them had died defending India against the Japanese and others in North Africa and Italy to defend freedom.
India has fought a number of wars since Independence where thousands of soldiers (the term “soldiers” includes airmen and sailors and their officers) died but their sacrifices have never been properly recognised. Therefore, the decision of the government to finally build a National War Memorial in New Delhi should be welcome. The approval to build it near India Gate is both befitting and laudable.
This memorial needs to be dedicated not only to those who fell in the battles after Independence, including those of the Indian Peace Keeping Force during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka, but also those who laid down their lives during World War II. The failure to do so will be a great injustice to the memory of those who sacrificed their lives in that great struggle.
The monument to be thus constructed must be of a grand design and scale, befitting the valour and sacrifices of those whose memory it aims to perpetuate. It must match India Gate in design, scale and grandeur. It ought to portray the unwavering loyalty, devotion and dedication of the Indian soldier (which includes airmen and sailors) to the country. It would be a place where all visiting dignitaries must be taken to pay homage to the “Unknown Soldier”. Some suggestions are doing the rounds that it should have a statue of a particular Indian general. National War Memorials as such never have a statue. There may be statues of a group of soldiers involved in some activity related to their deeds of valour, etc. National War Memorials are invariably dedicated to the “Unknown Soldier”, “The lads who took the copje (rocky outcrop) and are not known.”
The Tribune: National War Memorial, at last

Giant step in Delhi- Metro Rail at your doorsteps

THE BIG LEAP: Over 70 stations will bring Metro closer to everyone in Delhi.
NEW DELHI: If you live in Panchsheel Park, Vasant Vihar, RK Puram, Shalimar Bagh, South Extension, Sarojini Nagar or IP Extension and have been waiting for the Delhi Metro to come to your doorstep, here's some good news. The detailed project report (DPR) of Phase III of the Metro network, submitted by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to the Delhi government, has been finalized. It covers 103.05km of the city, with over 70 stations dotting the alignment. From Mukundpur in North Delhi to Azad Nagar and Yamuna Vihar in east Delhi, and from Punjabi Bagh (west) in west Delhi to Panchsheel Park and Jasola in South Delhi, the alignment interconnects the city forming two rings around it.

Transport Minister Arvinder Singh says, "The DPR will be sent to the Centre soon. We have added another corridor to the existing alignment, from Dwarka Morh to Najafgarh. DMRC has been asked to prepare the detailed project report for this corridor as well." The corridors that have been drawn up in the present DPR are final, says Singh. According to the minister, the primary criterion for the third phase of the Delhi Metro was connection to the large tracts of the city in the west and east that had been left out in the two previous Metro phases. South Delhi also needed better connectivity. "The alignment is quite long, perhaps one of the longest in Delhi but it addresses the transport needs of a large section of the capital," adds Singh. It also provides a connection to the domestic airport, an alternative to the present Airport Express Metro line that connects directly to the international airport.

The alignment is certainly extensive. The present alignment has four major corridors - one from Mukundpur to Rajouri Garden via Dhaula Kuan and all the way to Anand Vihar and thereafter, Yamuna Vihar via Azad Nagar in East Delhi. This corridor, which is the longest in the third phase, is 55.69km in length and has 10 interchange stations on the way. It covers a large demography, from the far-flung localities in Mukundpur and Shalimar Bagh to Moti Nagar and Nariana, ultimately connecting it to the business district of Bhikaji Cama Place and commercial hubs such as South Extension and Lajpat Nagar. From here, the line twists towards Hazrat Nizamuddin and then on to Mayur Vihar. Here, it goes through the congested colonies of Trilokpuri and Vinod Nagar before winding to the middle-class IP Extension. The line then again takes a turn and moves towards Anand Vihar, Jagatpuri, Azad Nagar, and on to Welcome, Jaffrabad and Maujpur to end in Yamuna Vihar.

The second corridor, meanwhile, measuring 33.49km, encircles all the major south Delhi localities. Starting from Janakpuri West, an interchange station, it goes through Dabri Morh, Palam and stops at Indira Gandhi domestic airport. Thereafter, it goes on to Vasant Vihar, Munirka, RK Puram, IIT and Panchsheel Park before connecting Chirag Delhi, GK Enclave and Kalkaji to Okhla, Jamia Nagar, Jasola and Kalindi Kunj. The line finally stops at Botanical Garden (part of line 3: Dwarka sector 21 to Noida City Centre) after a station at Amity Noida.

The shortest alignment is perhaps the Jehangirpuri-Badli line at 4.48km in the third phase. The stations on the way include Badli, Rohini Sector 18 and Jehangirpuri in the present DPR, which then connects to Adarsh Nagar station on line 2 (HUDA City Centre-Jehangirpuri).

While the majority of the alignment is elevated under the present DPR, several parts also go underground. Only the Central Secretariat-Kashmere Gate corridor is completely underground. Of the 103.05km, around 41km is underground track.

According to Singh, work on the third phase is expected to start soon. Singh said, "Part of the funds have already been released by both the Centre and Delhi government. As the work continues, more funds will be made available." As per the funding pattern drawn up by planning commission, part of the funds will be raised from international agencies while around 50% will be put up by the Centre and the Delhi government for the third phase. Singh says that funds are not a problem. "Like the first two phases, the third phase, too, will be funded by JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency). We have received positive response from them," he adds. However, no formal agreements have been signed yet, admits Singh.

Officials say work on the third phase will start with the Central Secretariat-Kashmere Gate and the Yamuna Vihar-Anand Vihar stretches. "The funds made available so far by the Centre and state government will be utilized at present," said an official from DMRC.
Metro Rail is coming to your doorstep

CWG: Opening Ceremony Video

CWG Opening ceremony begins with colour, music and a giant balloon



Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010 Live Streaming: Hindi: Link click here

CWG: High-tech security

From plainclothes detectives mingling with the crowds to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Delhi is under an unmatched security cover to ensure a trouble-free Commonwealth Games starting in the national capital from Sunday.

Besides some 100,000 police and paramilitary personnel on Delhi's roads, the UAVs will be looking for possible air intrusions. Ground personnel are equipped to battle chemical, biological or radiological attacks.

According to officials, the most high-tech security systems are in place for the Games that has drawn 7,000 athletes and officials from 71 nations and territories.

Army helicopters have begun hovering over the sprawling Games Village housing the visitors. Armed personnel have taken positions at city centres and vital installations.

Hundreds of plainclothesmen are mingling with the city populace in markets and Metro trains, residential colonies and bus stations.

"Home Minister (P.) Chidambaram has been personally supervising the arrangements," Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran said.

"There may be extra checking and traffic restrictions during the Games but these are natural in a big event," said an official from the ministry.

The home ministry, which controls Delhi Police, is in overall charge of the Games security.
High-tech security for CWG

Indira Gandhi International Airport: Integrated Gate 3 an engineering marvel

Terminal 3
The state-of-the-art integrated terminal, called T3, of Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi is poised to be the world’s third-largest, after Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Beijing in China, in terms of size. Once T3 starts operations in July 2010, IGIA will become the world’s sixth-largest in terms of capacity. T3 would increase the capacity of IGIA to 60 million passengers annually, from 23 million after it starts commercial operation in July 2010.

Designed by HOK working in consultation with Mott MacDonald, the new Terminal 3 will be a two-tier building, with the bottom floor being the arrivals area, and the top being a departures area. This terminal will have 168 check-in counters, 74 aerobridges, 30 parking bays, 72 immigration counters, 15 X-ray screening areas, for less waiting times, duty-free shops, and other features. Over 90% of passengers will use this terminal when completed. This new terminal has been completed in time for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which are to be held in Delhi, and will be connected to Delhi by an eight-lane motorway (National Highway 8), and the Delhi Mass Rapid Transit System. Terminal 3 will cater to 34 million passengers a year.

Specifications

1 million trees planted in and around T3

aluminium cladding covering 80,000 sq m

will feature 74 aerobridges, 30 remote parking bays for passenger movement to and from the aircraft and 78 boarding bridges. Six of the aerobridges will be compatible with the A380.

five level in-line baggage handling system and 160 check-in counters as well as 70 desks for immigration. Siemens Mobility has won the contract to supply the baggage handling system, which can handle more than 11,300 pieces of baggage per hour.

two levels with departures on the upper floor and arrivals on the lower. Passengers that have checked-in will pass over a bridge to the airside and will be able to look down to the arrivals floor from the bridge

have extensive shopping areas (Alpha has the duty free contract), with many restaurants and bars and executive lounges to relax in. There will also be a business centre with state-of-the-art IT and communications equipment for the business traveller

covered parking for 4000 motor vehicles

cost Rs 9,000 cores and project completion in 37 months

The new T3 will become operational from July 3, 2010 after which all international airlines and India's full cost carriers Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines will start their operations from the terminal in a phased manner. Members of the Oneworld alliance will also operate from this terminal as a result of Kingfisher Airline's entry into the alliance.

Terminal 3 will form the first phase of the airport expansion in which a 'U' horseshoe shaped building will be developed in a modular manner. In 2010, all international and full service domestic carriers will operate from Terminal 3, while Terminal 1 will be dedicated to low cost operations. In subsequent stages, the low cost carriers will also move to the new terminal complex.
Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi, India

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

Beating Retreat fanfare captivates audiences

Smriti Kak Ramachandran The Hindu- 30 Jan 2010
The colourful ceremony with bands marks the end of Republic Day celebrations
— Photo: Shanker Chakravarty
TRADITION AND GLORY: A view of the Beating Retreat, at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi on Friday.
NEW DELHI: In the light of the setting sun, men in regalia made music with military precision as they marched down the Raisina Hill on Friday to mark the closure of the Republic Day celebrations.

Under a clear sky and in a patriotic ambience, captivated audiences sat and watched Beating Retreat, the ceremony that dates back to the time when sounding retreat pulled to a halt the day’s fighting.

Led by President Pratibha Patil, also the Supreme Commander of the three Forces, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, the audience sat through a ceremony that elicits a common response of nationalism and pride.

As men on foot and on horse back marched to the beats of drums and pipes, the air was filled with the rendition of different tunes.

Thirty-five bands from the Army, the Navy and the Air Force took part in the ceremony that began with the arrival of the President marked by fanfare by the buglers.

The first march of the massed band was the popular Sam Bahadur followed by the adroit performance of the pipes and drums which had the audiences tapping the feet with their Surya, Sky Boat Song, Pipers Cave, Highland Laddie and The Marquis of Huntly, among others.

The Naval and Air Force Bands, striking in their appearance and confident in their bearing, charged the atmosphere with their repertoire that included Ocean’s Splendour, Bharatiya Navsena, Sky Hawks, Nocturnal Cry, Swatantra Bharat ki Shan and Subroto.

Their tempo set the pace and had the audience applauding several times. Out in the open the acoustical performance was an experience unmatched.

The military bands with their Hanste Lushai, Gangotri, Abhinandan, Dhola-Re-Dhola were as spectacular to the eye as they were an aural treat. Next it was the massed bands again enthralling the audiences that included Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife, Vice- President Hamid Ansari and his wife, Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi and a host of dignitaries. Their quick march to the tunes of Saare Jahan Se Acha brought the curtains down on the ceremony.
Beating Retreat fanfare captivates audiences

Military caught in the web of Bureaucracy- Defence meetings at South Block

Discussions items on the agenda
The meeting should have begun at 10 O’ Clock, and it did. At the stroke of the hour, the chairman came in, and even before we had settled down in our chairs, the Staff Officer had read out the first item on the agenda. The ‘old man’ expounded the nuances of that very contentious issue and he enlightened us on the pros and cons of the various alternatives available to us. He regaled the audience with some real life stories on how a bad decision had created such complex problems for the posterity. Having done that, he threw the subject open for discussion. I was not concerned with that particular subject and could therefore objectively watch the proceedings. I saw that some officers wanted to say something merely to be noticed. And when they were snubbed by the ‘chair’ I saw the glee on the faces of the detractors. The discussion went on for a long time, and after that the chairman said, “Well we have heard all the views. Now please send us your comments within two weeks and we will discuss this issue in the next meeting.”

The second item on the agenda was taken up at ten minutes to eleven. And by the time was served at half past eleven, we had finished three out of the 29 items on the agenda. I got a little worried. I had fixed a game of bridge in the afternoon, and the way things were going, it was unlikely that we would be able to finish discussion on all our ‘points’ even at dinner time. I asked a neighbor whether the conference was scheduled to spill over to the next day. He replied in the negative. He told me that the chairman was scheduled to go on a temporary duty that evening.
I need not have worried. After tea, the pace of the conference improved after tea, and during the next one hour we had completed fifteen items. And then, it seems the chairman decided to rush through. The last fourteen items were given a summary treatment, and before one O’clock, we wound up.

Suddenly, it occurred to me that a similar phenomenon occurs during ‘mating’. The first item, i.e. foreplay takes a longish time. But after that, things speed up and towards the end the mating partners are in a frantic hurry. This, I soon discovered, is not the only similarity between the two activities. In meetings, as also mating, nothing really happens after the activity. After meetings, the tables have to be cleared of crockery and after mating there is a bit of cleaning to do. In both cases, nothing really results as a result of all that effort. In rare cases, when something does fructify, it takes several months to manifest by way of a result, despite all the hurry in the end.

My dirty mind went further. I discovered that soon after marriage or the change of boss, mating and meetings are more frequent and more intense. Finally, in winter these activities flourish more than summer. It became increasingly evident to me that the similarity in the spelling of the two words, ‘mating’ and ‘meeting’ is not just a coincidence. It is the result of systematic research carried out by those who created the lexicon.

At his point, I was reminded of the unorthodox ‘meetings’ which are convened by military commanders. These have no formal agenda, and the boss is the only one who speaks. These seamless monologs are a method by which the ‘commander’ asserts his position as the master; the views of the subordinates are neither sought nor entertained. No prize for guessing the equivalent of this phenomenon in the mating game. The only difference is that the authoritative form of such mating is a deadly offence, but in the military meetings of this nature is a routine occurrence and are the birth right of all commanding officers.

From this emerges, what is now known as ‘the Surjit’s principle for military conferences’. It says, “If a meeting is inevitable, just switch off; sit back and ‘conceive’ a short story.”

A Footnote
Between 1973 and ’97 I spent thirteen long years in and around the South Block in New Delhi. The most onerous part of the service in the defense headquarters was the seemingly unending conferences and meetings. In the beginning, I used to listen to every single speaker and try to follow everything which he said. I also took copious notes of all the proceedings. Then, one day in 1987, I was seated just behind the Additional Secretary (Defense) and the meeting was in the office of Sh Arun Singh, Raksha Rajya Mantri. Our friend seemed to be taking notes, since his eyes were glued on to his note-pad. However, a peep on his work revealed some urdu couplets and pencil sketches of birds and flowers. If a question was directly addressed to him, he said, “I beg your pardon, Sir” and then gave an evasive answer like, “Let them send us a note. We will examine the issue on file.”

I had learnt a lesson. From there on I turned these meetings into occasions to reflect on life and do some serious thinking. A great deal of my writing is actually a result of what was ‘conceived’ during those interminable sessions!
Maj Gen Surjit Singh (Retd)
CHANDIGARH, 24 October 2009

War memorial: Let's bring our heroes home

By: Anshuman G Dutta Date: 2009-06-19 Place: Delhi
Defence forces resume their demand to build a national war memorial for Indian soldiers
Have you ever scanned the walls of India Gate? If you have, you must have rolled your eyes over the names of the 90,000 soldiers, in whose memory the monument was built. These soldiers gave their lives during the two World Wars. Brave souls, we agree; but what about the thousands others who died fighting Pakistan and China after India's Independence? Even though India has fought five wars in the last seven decades (including the military conflict with Pakistan in 1948), there is hardly anything to commemorate the soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Curiously, the proposal to construct a National War Memorial in Delhi for these bravehearts was mooted in the 60s. The file, however, has been lost in transit between various ministries.

"The proposal was drawn up in the 60s and is now being revived. The plan is to construct a war memorial near India Gate, which was built in the honour of British Indian soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and II. We managed to receive sanctions from several parties who have stakes in India Gate but now the proposal is stuck with the Environment Ministry," said an official from the Ministry of Defence (MoD), wishing anonymity.

He hinted at a strong undercurrent of dissent in the defence forces against India Gate representing the country's martyrs.

"India Gate was constructed by the British for the Indian soldiers who served in the Royal British Army. Celebrating Republic Day at India Gate feels like as if we are still under the British rule. It's unfortunate we could not construct a war memorial for our soldiers even after 60 years of Independence," said an officer of the Indian Army, wishing anonymity.

Sources said the design of the proposed memorial has been accepted by the New Delhi Municipal Corporation, Delhi Urban Art Commission and the Central Vista Committee.

"But the Environment Ministry is not giving the green signal. It says the proposed structure can spoil the ambience of the present structures at India Gate. But the new memorial won't disturb anything," said the official.

But now the Ministry of Defence is has made up its mind to give a final push to the plan to construct the memorial and has also decided to bear the entire cost. "The new memorial's architecture will blend with other heritage monuments on Rajpath. We hope we will be able to honour our martyrs finally," the official added.


The new memorial
The plan of the memorial includes a 10-feet-high wall around India Gate on which names of soldiers will be etched. There will be an amphitheatre behind India Gate. The amphitheatre, with a ramp on each side, will have a central hall decorated with materials recovered from the various wars our soldiers have fought
Let's bring our heroes home

Greetings: 60th Republic Day

Bharat Mata Ki Jai

Happy Republic Day to all our Readers

We salute the Armed Forces

Lt Gen Harbhajan Singh
Brig CS Kamboj
Brig Sukwindar Singh
Lt Col Kanagaraj James

India's might will be on display on R-Day

India will display its military might in front foreign diplomats and dignitaries and chief guest. Republic Day marks India’s adoption of the Constitution and the transition from a British dominion to a republic on Jan. 26, 1950. This year will also see unprecedented security.
Akash missiles are displayed at the Republic Day parade rehearsal
A Brahmos missile displayed at the rehearsal
New Delhi: To showcase India's military might, one mounted cavalry and seven mechanised columns, eight marching contingents, Advanced Light Helicopters along with 10 military bands and 13 pipes and drums of the army will participate at the Republic Day parade this year.

"The highlights of the parade from army would be the T-90 tanks, Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles, combat vehicles OSA -AK, infantry combat vehicle BMP-II, Takshak Striker bullet-proof vehicle and a motorcycle display by the 'Dare-devils' team of the Corps of Signals," Delhi Area General Officer Commanding and parade commander Maj Gen KJS Oberoi said.

Three Param Vir Chakra and seven Ashok Chakra- winning personnel would also be there at the parade.

The indigenously developed cruise missile Brahmos will be showcased twice during the annual parade. The army will be showing the land attack variant of the missile whereas the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will display the naval variant of the missile on its tableau.

The other DRDO systems to be on display include the Advanced Air System (ADS), Akash missile and the long-range ballistic missile Agni III, he added.

The naval tableau will display its recently acquired amphibious warship INS Jalashwa, which was inducted in the Navy in 2007.

Indian Air Force will showcase its increasing reach and power with a model of its Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft (AWACS) and Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer at its tableau.

IAF's Su-30MKI, Jaguar and MiG-29 fighter aircraft along with Mi-17 IV and Mi-35 choppers will make a fly-past over the parade.
© Copyright 2008 PTI. All rights reserved.
India's might will be on display on R-Day

Indo- Pak War 1971: Public Memory is short

A Soldier's General: General Sam Manekshaw chats with Jawans about their war experiences. Circa Dec 1971.
16th December 1971 was a day to remember in more ways than one. The daybreak came not with bright sun-shine but with a severe storm raging in its full fury, it was more like a tornado with the corrugated tin- sheets from various structures around getting uprooted from their moorings by the force of the wind and flying around like unguided missiles.

Coming out of my hut I was buffeted by the strong gusts of the wind, crouching low and struggling against the wind force I slowly made my way to the mess for breakfast. However, the mess was in a mess with soot everywhere. No breakfast could be served that morning as the strong gusts of wind flowing in and out of the kitchen made it impossible to light the stove.

Down below in the planes of the then East Pakistan birth of BanglaDesh had taken place and the post- delivery calm prevailing. It was all quiet once again after days, months and years of killings of the locals prolonged fighting by the Mukti Bahini and a short fight with Indian forces when 90,000 odd of the Pakistani Army had surrendered to India Armed forces.

(Later while commanding the regiment at Ranchi, I had gone to Gaya, to visit the Brigade Signal Company located there and happened to visit the POW camp commanded by Lt Col Mahender Singh Tiawthia of Signals. I felt extremely sad to see the Pakistani young officers corralled behind the barbed wire fence)

The War of liberation over, the instrument of surrender having been signed at Dhaka and things returning to somewhat normal state, with my mother's demise at the back of my mind all the time I then requested and was granted a few days of leave.

Changing trains at Delhi Junction for Dehradun, I possibly one of the very few soldiers returning from the Eastern front was besieged by a welcoming party and escorted to a stall serving free Idli-Dosa and other South Indian delicacies.

Excitement of meeting Jeet and the children staying in separated family accommodation with many other families as neighbours was over-shadowed by once again the 'Survival's Feeling of Guilt' returning from the battle front, I was dreading of any bad news fortunately, all were safe.

The short leave over once again back at the Delhi Railway station I was looking for the stall dispensing free Dosas. However not only the welcome party was missing but the stall had also been wound-up. The fervour for the sacrifice by the Army made only a short time back was now History. Public memory is so short.

Brig Lakshman Singh, VSM (Retd)

Explosions at India’s Capital

Photos: VV Krishnan, AP, AFP
NEW DELHI — The Indian capital was rocked by terrorist attacks on Saturday as a series of synchronized explosions hit five crowded markets and thoroughfares, including Connaught Place, a tourist destination in the heart of the city.

Shivraj Patil, India’s home minister, said 18 people had been killed. Scores were wounded — in one hospital alone, more than 50 casualties were wheeled in within two hours of the blasts. The police and government officials called for calm, and the streets of the capital turned quiet Saturday night.
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XXIX Olympaid Host China wins gold medal race

BEIJING (AP) — China proved an acquisitive first-time Olympic host, topping the gold-medal chart with one of the most dominating and diverse performances ever. The United States, Britain and an array of small nations also had reasons to celebrate.

China's haul of 51 gold medals was the largest since the Soviet Union won 55 in Seoul in 1988. Fielding athletes groomed since childhood in sports academies, it won medals in 25 different sports, including its first ever in sailing, beach volleyball and field hockey.

Not since 1936, when Nazi Germany prevailed at the Berlin Olympics, had a country other than the USA or the Soviet Union/ Russia led the gold medal list.

The United States trailed well behind the Chinese in golds with 36, the first time since 1992 it didn't lead the category. But the Americans did break their own mark for total medals in a non- boycotted Olympics; they won 110 in all, two more than their previous high set in 1992 and 10 ahead of China's overall tally this year.

Welcome to Commonwealth Games 2010 web site. It's just about time that you get informed about Commonwealth Games 2010 that is to be held in India. Information that will make you a part of the international event the whole world is waiting for. The event that involves the elite of the athletes and the best of the nations. The 2010 Games also presents an opportunity for India to showcase itself as a sporting and cultural nation and economic power.
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2010 New Delhi: CWG
2010- Commonwealth Games