Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel announced on Saturday that a war memorial for martyred soldiers and other security personnel, along with an eternal flame called the Chhattisgarh Amar Jawan Jyoti, will be built in Raipur soon.
This comes soon after the Amar Jawan Jyoti flame at India Gate was merged with the National War Memorial by the central government, a move that was criticized by many. Baghel also expressed his disappointment at the removal of the Amar Jawan Jyoti in a release.
As quoted by news agency PTI, the Chhattisgarh CM said, “In honor of the martyrs, a memorial named ‘Chhattisgarh Amar Jawan Jyoti’ will be constructed on the campus of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force’s 4th battalion in Mana area here.”
Baghel further added, “The flame at the memorial will glow continuously.” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be performing the ‘bhoomi poojan’ (ground-breaking ceremony) for the memorial during his visit to the state on February 3, the CM’s statement further said.
Baghel further mentioned in the press release that he was pained by the decision to merge the Amar Jawan Jyoti, which had been burning continuously for 50 years, with the NWM. He said that a society “which does not respect its martyrs and preserve the memories of their sacrifices gets destroyed.”
The chief minister, as per the release, said, “We will honor the martyrdom of the brave-hearts (Police/Paramilitary/Army) of Chhattisgarh who sacrificed their lives for the nation in any part of the country, as well as the brave-hearts of the country who sacrificed their lives in the state through this memorial.”
Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Raipur in Chhattisgarh on February 3, according to media reports, to launch a financial assistance scheme named ‘Rajiv Gandhi Bhoomihin Krishi Majdoor Nyay Yojana’ for landless labourers.
For the unversed, the Amar Jawan Jyoti was lit on January 26, 1972, and was merged with the eternal flame in the National War Memorial on January 26, 2022. This kicked off a political row in the nation, with several leaders saying it was disrespectful towards soldiers who have laid down their lives for the country.
(With PTI inputs)
