The government has refuted claims that Amar Jawan Jyoti has been extinguished, claiming on Friday that the flame commemorating troops who died in the 1971 conflict has been united with the flame at the nearby National War Memorial.
The flame was not extinguished
On the same day that opposition parties accused the administration of extinguishing the “everlasting light,” official sources dismissed the claim as false. They claim that fusing the Jyoti with the flame at the National War Memorial will be a worthy respect to the dead warriors.
They pointed out that the Amar Jawan Jyoti, which was lit in memory of the troops who died in the 1971 war with Pakistan, lacked the names of the martyrs. “It was strange to see the flame at Amar Jawan Jyoti paying honor to the martyrs of the 1971 and earlier conflicts, but none of their names were present,” a source remarked.
According to reports, the names carved on the India Gate are only those of a few victims who fought for the British in World War I and the Anglo-Afghan War, and are thus a symbol of our colonial past.
Lasting respect to the martyrs
Sources claimed it’s strange that people who didn’t build a National War Memorial for seven decades are now raising a fuss when a lasting and fitting respect is being paid to the martyrs, in a jab at the opposition.
The decision to integrate the two flames was welcomed by Lt General (retd) Satish Dua, who oversaw the creation of the National War Museum. The retired General tweeted, “It gives me tremendous delight that the eternal flame of Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate is being combined with National War Museum.”
