Delhi: Prime Minister Modi to inaugurate National War Memorial tomorrow
PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate the National War Memorial near India Gate tomorrow. The memorial will honor soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country since Independence. "The defense minister, chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force will be among the dignitaries present on the occasion," a senior official said. The project for building the memorial was approved by the government in 2015.
Memorial will include a wall carrying names of soldiers: Rawat
Some other cabinet ministers are also likely to attend the event, the official added. "The National War Memorial will include a wall that will carry the names of those soldiers who have laid down their lives for the country. The memorial would serve as a new landmark, which would attract people from near and far," Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat had said earlier.
Government had in 2015 approved project for building memorial, museum
Acceding to a long-pending demand of the armed forces, the government in 2015 had approved the project for building a National War Memorial and a National War Museum near India Gate in memory of over 22,500 soldiers who laid down their lives post-Independence.
'Memorial will promote sense of patriotism in minds of visitors'
"This government will be establishing a war memorial and a museum with a deep sense of gratitude to honor those brave soldiers, who laid down their lives," an official statement released after the Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had then said. "The memorial will promote a sense of patriotism in the minds of visitors," it had said.
India Gate is a war memorial built during British Raj
"The memorial will award an opportunity to citizens of this vast nation, to express their token sense of gratitude to the brave soldiers," the statement had said. India Gate itself is a war memorial built during the British Raj as the All India War Memorial Arch to honor 82,000 soldiers who died in the First World War (1914-1918) and the Third Anglo-Afghan War (1919).
Lord Irwin had inaugurated India Gate on 12 February, 1931
India Gate has the names of soldiers inscribed on its surface. Its foundation stone was laid on 10th February 1921 by the visiting Duke of Connaught. Its construction was completed 10 years after in 1931 and was inaugurated by Viceroy, Lord Irwin on 12th February.
