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Amar Jawan Jyoti's eternal flame to be doused after 50 yrs; know why

By The Assam Tribune
Amar Jawan Jyotis eternal flame to be doused after 50 yrs; know why
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Source: Twitter

Guwahati, Jan 21: With just a few days ahead of the Republic Day, the 50 years old eternal flame of Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate lawns will be merged with the National War Memorial's torch at a programme today.

The ceremony will be commenced by Air Marshal Balabadra Radha Krishna, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, in the absence of serving Chief of Defence Staff at 3.30 pm today. The flame will be moved in a torch to the National War Memorial along with Guard Contingent and the two flames will be merged, said reports.

Reportedly, the decision was taken in line with the maintenance of both the flames which are in close proximity to each other. While the Amar Jawan Jyoti is built under the India Gate, the National War Memorial was built within the India Gate complex

Meanwhile, the opposition party has slammed the government following the decision of extinguishing the eternal flame Amar Jawan Jyoti and merging it with the National War Memorial. The ruling party, however, clarified that the flame will not be extinguished, but will be merged with the torch of the war memorial.

Importance of the Amar Jawan Jyoti

Constructed in the year 1972 and inaugurated by Indira Gandhi the Amar Jawan Jyoti commemorates the dead and unknown soldiers who lost their lives during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 that led to the formation of Bangladesh as a separate country. The burning of the flame is considered immortal.

Amar Jawan Jyoti is located under the India Gate at Rajpath, New Delhi. It consists of a marble pedestal with a cenotaph. The Phrase "Amar Jawan" (Immortal Soldier) is written in gold on all four sides of the cenotaph. On the top, a L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle is placed on its barrel and is capped by the helmet of the Unknown Soldier.

Since 1972, every-year on the Republic Day, it had been customary for the President, Prime Minister, Chief of the Air Staff, Chief of the Naval Staff, Chief of the Army Staff and dignitaries to a place wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti and pay homage to the dead and unknown soldiers.

However, from 2020 onwards the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, on the occasion of Republic Day placed the wreath at the National War Memorial instead of the India Gate.

Significance of National War Memorial

The National War Memorial honours and represents soldiers of the Indian military who fought conflicts for independent India. The names of armed forces personnel killed during the armed conflicts with Pakistan and China as well as the 1961 War in Goa, Operation Pawan, and other operations such as Operation Rakshak are inscribed on the memorial walls in golden letters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the memorial on February 25, 2019. The memorial has names of 25,942 soldiers inscribed in golden letters on granite tablets. This monument is spread over 40 acres of land and was built by the Government of India around the existing canopy, near India Gate, New Delhi.

Opposition slams the move to merge the eternal flame

The Congress party on Friday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre over its decision to extinguish the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate in the national capital and merge it with the flame at the National War Memorial.

Taking to Twitter, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said it's a matter of great sadness. "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 can't understand patriotism and sacrifice – never mind…We will once again light the Amar Jawan Jyoti for our soldiers! (sic)," he tweeted.


Reacting to the development, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh said that the country will not forgive PM Modi. "Modi ji, you are neither a farmer's nor a jawan's. This "Amar Jawan Jyoti" has been burning for 50 years in the memory of our soldiers who gave their martyrdom in the Indo-Pak war of 1971. You are insulting the martyrdom of brave soldiers by extinguishing that flame. This country will not forgive you," he said in a tweet (roughly translated from Hindi).


Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweets that the government has no respect for democratic tradition & established convention, whether in parliament or out of it.


Meanwhile, Lt Gen (Retd) Satish Dua on Friday hailed the Centre for its decision to merge the Amar Jawan Jyoti with flame at the National War Memorial.

BJP leader Amit Malviya while clarifying the government's stand said that the names inscribed on India Gate, where Amar Jawan Jyoti flame was, are of those who fought World War I and Anglo-Afghan War for the Britishers, not those who fell in 1971 and wars before and after.



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