The eternal flame at the Amar Jawan Jyoti remembering the faceless soldiers of the country who martyred their lives was extinguished and merged with the flame at nearby National War Memorial on Friday evening, an exercise that invited the wrath of the Opposition that targeted the Narendra Modi government for “attempting to rewrite history” and employ “memory erasure” tactics.
Government sources defended the action and accused the critics of “misinformation”, while claiming that it was "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.
Maintaining that the eternal flame at the India Gate was not being extinguished but "merged with the flame" at the National War Memorial, which is 400 metres away, sources went to say that it was "odd" to see that the flame that paid homage to the martyrs of the 1971 and other wars had no names etched there.
"The names inscribed on the India Gate are of only some martyrs who fought for the British in the World War 1 and the Anglo Afghan War & thus is a symbol of our colonial past," they said adding names of all martyrs from all wars are inscribed at the war memorial. "Hence it is a true shraddhanjali to have the flame paying tribute to martyrs there," they added.
In February 2019, while briefing on National War Memorial, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Lt Gen PS Rajeshwar had said that a new flame will come up at the war memorial "but the eternal flame at Amar Jawan Jyoti will stay. We have inherited that flame."
Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "it 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!"
Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said, "How many more ideas and monuments we hold dear need to be reworked to make way for a ‘New India’? Sad and Anguished....PS : Spare me gyaan on merging it with another flame at War Memorial. Why can’t we keep both?"
Senior RJD MP Manoj K Jha said, "it was understandable that the present regime may not have a sense of attachment/belonging with the 'glories of the past' but it is beyond comprehension when you resort to such 'memory erasure' tactics..It is neither good politics nor good optics. Jai Hind."
Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari said, "whatever is being done is a national tragedy and an attempt to rewrite history. Merging Amar Jawan Jyoti with War Memorial Torch means erasing history. BJP has built a National War Memorial, that does not mean they can extinguish Amar Jawan Jyoti."
A former IAF pilot, Congress' Lok Sabha MP Uttam Kumar Reddy said he felt sad to read about the decision. "Highly inappropriate! Most countries have several war memorials!! No need to extinguish existing Amar Jawan Jyoti!!" he added.
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