New Delhi: The Amar Jawan Jyoti or the eternal flame for soldiers was put out at India Gate in Delhi after 50 years and merged with the torch at the National War Memorial with a great ceremony that included a military parade, band, and salute. Soldiers marched carrying the flame from India Gate to the new memorial around 400 metres away in the heart of the capital.The National War Memorial, built in 2019, will now be the single point for military ceremonies and tributes to fallen soldiers.
The move has been received with mixed feelings. Officials say one reason was the “difficulty in maintaining two flames”.
Critics called it an attempt to erase history with poor regard to tradition.
The government said a “lot of misinformation” was circulating, that the flame at India Gate paid homage only to the martyrs of the 1971 war.
“The flame of the Amar Jawan Jyoti is not being extinguished. It is being merged with the flame at the National War Memorial. It was an odd thing to see that the flame at Amar Jawan Jyoti paid homage to the martyrs of the 1971 and other wars but none of their names are present there,” said government sources.
The India Gate was built by the British as a memorial to the soldiers of the British Indian Army who died in World War-I. The Amar Jawan Jyoti was placed under the India Gate in 1971 when the Indira Gandhi-led Congress government was in power.
The names inscribed on the India Gate are those who fought for the British in World War-I and the Anglo-Afghan War, said the government, describing it as “a symbol of our colonial past”.
The names of Indian soldiers who died in wars after Independence, including the 1971 war, are engraved at the National War Memorial, said the government. “It is a true shraddhanjali (tribute) to have the flame paying tribute to martyrs there,” said sources.
There has been a deluge of posts on social media and statements from opposition parties, also a section of retired veterans, over the shift.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “Some people cannot understand patriotism and sacrifice”.
Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said she is “sad and anguished” and asked why both flames cannot remain.
The National War Memorial, built over 40 acres, was built in 2019 at a cost of ₹ 176 crore and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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