The 'inverted rifle and helmet' from India Gate has been relocated to the National War Memorial.

  • May 28, 2022, 11:44 a.m.

Four months after the eternal flame from the Amar Jawan Jyoti from under the India Gate was "merged" with the immortal flame at the National War Memorial 100 metres away, the symbol of the fallen soldier at India Gate has also been moved to the National War Memorial.

In a ceremony headed by Chief of Integrated Defence to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) Air Marshal B R Krishna on Friday, the armed forces moved the inverted rifle and helmet, a memorial to the soldiers who laid down their lives in the 1971 war, from India Gate to the National War Memorial, which was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in February 2019.

The Amar Jawan Jyoti has been moved just ahead of Republic Day this year. It was the first time in 50 years since the memorial was established after India’s victory over Pakistan in 1971, leading to the liberation of Bangladesh, that the eternal flame was extinguished from under India Gate, which itself is a memorial to Indian soldiers who died during World War 1 and other military campaigns till 1931.

The National War Memorial has been built over a 40-acre area close to India Gate, and has names of over 26,000 Indian soldiers who have laid down their lives in various wars and operations for the country since Independence.

The inverted rifle and helmet, "which was the symbol of Fallen Soldiers of 1971 War", was moved "to Param Yodha Sthal at National War Memorial and installed in the midst of Busts of Param Vir Chakra Awardees", the Defence Ministry said in a statement Friday.

It stated that with this ceremony, "the integration of the Memorial of Fallen Soldiers of 1971 war with the National War Memorial has been completed".

As part of the ceremony, a final salute was given and CISC offered a wreath at India Gate, the statement mentioned, adding that afterwards, "the Inverted Rifle and Helmet was removed and carried in a ceremonial vehicle to the Param Yodha Sthal and installed at a newly created monument". The CISC was accompanied by Adjutant General equivalents from the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.

In January, when the eternal flame was "merged", defence ministry sources stated that it was to integrate the war memorials, as earlier politicians and visiting dignitaries had to pay their respects at two different places, and once the war memorial commemorating all fallen soldiers of Independent India was built, a separate memorial for soldiers who died in the 1971 war was not needed.

The memorial under India Gate was inaugurated by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, a month after Pakistani forces had surrendered on December 16.

The Amar Jawan Jyoti memorial had included a black marble plinth with an inverted L1A1 self-loading rifle with a bayonet, topped by a war helmet, which acts as the tomb of the unknown soldier, and four urns with burners, one or all of which were always lit constituting the eternal flame.

Author : Rajdhani Delhi Representative

Rajdhani delhi representative

Related News