A Homage to Our Brave Soldiers

Class 07 English

Two friends share their feelings about brave soldiers. One of them shares her experience of visiting the National War Memorial that has left a deep impact on her.

They exchange letters and share their feelings of gratitude for the freedom they enjoy because of the sacrifices made by the bravehearts of the country. The memorial symbolises the patriotism of Indian soldiers.

Part I

Our visit to the National War Memorial began with our teacher explaining that even after Independence, India has had to fight many wars to protect herself, and the freedom and security we enjoy today is because of the many brave men and women who have served in the Indian Armed Forces over decades. Sadly, she said, war always takes its toll, and therefore, many brave soldiers have had to sacrifice their lives for the country even after our Independence in 1947.

This is what makes monuments like the National War Memorial extremely important, so that we should never forget the cost of freedom. We are aware, always, of the pain and horrors of war. We learnt that each brick of the memorial is called a tablet, and it bears the names of soldiers who fought for India and made the supreme sacrifice in different wars from 1947 till date, including the Indo-China conflict of 1962, the Indo-Pak Wars in 1965 & 1971 and the Kargil War in 1999. There are 29,000 tablets on which more than 26,000 names of fallen soldiers have been etched.

It was heartening to know that our government has recognised the sacrifice of brave soldiers. Our teacher told us about the 21 bravehearts who were awarded the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), India’s highest wartime gallantry medal, for their service to the nation. She also told us about Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), Kirti Chakra (KC), Vir Chakra (VrC), and Shaurya Chakra (SC).

Major Somnath Sharma was posthumously awarded India’s first PVC in the Battle of Badgam in 1947. Later some more PVCs were awarded for exceptional gallantry during the India-China Conflict of 1962, and the India-Pakistan War of 1965. Besides, a PVC was also awarded for service during the UN Peace Keeping Operations in Congo.

In the 1971 war, some of the heroes who were awarded the PVC (posthumously) include Lance Naik Albert Ekka, Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, and Major Hoshiar Singh. Some Navy personnel including Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla were also awarded MVC for their exemplary courage and leadership.

As we continued our visit around the National War Memorial, we came across another important installation called Amar Jawan Jyoti that commemorates our soldiers. The name, as you may have guessed, represents an immortal flame that is kept ablaze all through the day and night to revere the sacrifices of our soldiers. Earlier the Amar Jawan Jyoti, which also displayed a rifle and a helmet, was alighted under the arch of India Gate in January 1972 to commemorate India’s victory in the India-Pakistan War of 1971.

The National War Memorial now includes Amar Jawan Jyoti in the obelisk, which is surrounded by four Chakras. During the inauguration, the Prime Minister lit a new flame to commemorate the fallen heroes. Later, the old flame at India Gate was also merged with the new flame at the National War Memorial.

The National War Memorial consists of four concentric circles, which are known as Amar Chakra, Veerta Chakra, Tyag Chakra, and Raksha Chakra around a 15-metre-tall central obelisk with the eternal flame - the Amar Jawan Jyoti. It also houses bronze and stone murals and graphic panels.

The innermost circle represents the Amar Chakra, also known as the ‘Circle of Immortality’. This has the Obelisk with Eternal Flame. The Amar Jawan Jyoti flame symbolises the immortality of the spirit of fallen soldiers with the assurance that the nation will never forget their sacrifice.

The second circle is called the Veerta Chakra, which is also known as the ‘Circle of Bravery’. There is a covered gallery that exhibits six murals crafted in bronze, depicting valiant battle actions of our Armed Forces.

The third circle represents the Tyag Chakra, also known as the ‘Circle of Sacrifice’. The circular concentric walls of honour symbolise the ancient war formation, which is called Chakravyuh. The walls are covered with granite tablets and individual tablet is solely dedicated to each fallen hero of post-Independent India. Their names are etched in golden letters.

The outermost circle represents the Raksha Chakra, which is also known as the ‘Circle of Protection’. In this chakra the row of trees is a reassurance to the citizens of the country about their safety against any threat. Each tree represents the soldiers who ensure the territorial integrity of the nation.