INDIA. Mumbai: In a historic decision, the Government of India has decided to install a giant statue of freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, at India Gate, New Delhi on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary.
A hologram statue will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 23, Sunday.
“This was the dream of every Indian to have a statue of India’s greatest freedom fighter, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at India Gate. After 75 years, the Government of India is fulfilling the demand,” Hindu IT Cell tweeted.
Amar Jawan Jyoti
In another development, the eternal flame of Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate lawns, which was lit in 1972, was extinguished after burning for 50 years. A part of the torch was merged with the National War Memorial’s torch on Friday, ahead of Republic Day.
The flame at Amar Jawan Jyoti was merged with the eternal flame at the National War Memorial, which is 400 meters away on the other side of India Gate, with full military honours. The ceremony was presided over by Air Marshal BR Krishna AVSM SC, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC).
The Amar Jawan Jyoti is a memorial symbolized by an inverted bayonet and soldier’s helmet over it with an eternal flame burning beside it.
There are four flames on each side of the cenotaph. Only one flame was kept burning throughout the year. However, on Independence Day and Republic Day, all flames were lit. Though liquified petroleum gas was used to keep the flame alive till 2006, lately piped natural gas was used.
The National War Memorial, built across 40-acres close to India Gate at the cost of Rs 176 crore, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 25, 2019.
However, there were mixed reactions to the Amar Jawan Jyoti being merged with the National War Memorial. “It is a matter of great sadness that the immortal flame for our brave soldiers will be extinguished. Some people cannot understand patriotism and sacrifice – never mind… We will once again light the ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’ for our soldiers,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
But speaking to the Transcontinental Times, Wing Commander (Retired) B B Soni said “Great and welcome being a most befitting tribute to all braveheart soldiers who were martyred in all wars”.
“It gives me great satisfaction that the eternal flame of Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate is being merged with the National War Memorial(NWM). As someone who had steered the design selection & construction of NWM, I’d been of this view all along” Let Gen (Retired) Satish Dua said in a tweet.
According to information, the decision for the merger of the flames was taken due to the difficulty in the upkeep of both the flames. An all-inclusive National War Memorial has already been built for the martyrs of the country. As such officials questioned why a separate flame should be lit at the India Gate.
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