Side by Side

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Indian government’s recent move to shift the Amar Jawan Jyoti from its location under India Gate to the National War Memorial (NWM) faced some protest. 

Why some people are regarding the current place as inappropriate? 

Read here. 

What are these arguments in favor of moving the flame to National war memorial? 

NWM houses the names of all the soldiers who died in wars that took place after independence in 1947. While, the Amar Jawan Jyoti set up in 1972 seeks to commemorate those who laid down their lives in the 1971 war, but their names are not inscribed on the monument itself. It will be a practical move to have both at the same place. 

NWM is where all the official functions are now held to honour the country’s soldiers, and having a flame there would be more apt. 

What are the arguments against this move? 

India should not also forget the sacrifice of 15,000 men who laid down their lives as part of the British Army in the two world wars, and whose names are inscribed on the arch, but not at the NWM.  

The present day Indian Army is a legatee of the British Indian Army, organised much along the same lines as it was 75 years ago, and cannot turn its back on its own heroes. 

What is the way forward? 

The best way out of the present controversy would be to leave the Amar Jawan Jyoti burning at India Gate, along with the one at the NWM. Keeping the flame alive there will ensure that none of India’s war heroes is forgotten.   

Source–This post is based on the article “Side by Side” published in Indian express on 24th Jan 2022.