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| 38 years and still waiting for a war memorial | | |
New Delhi, Dec 17
Today is the 38th anniversary of India's greatest military victory in 1971, but nearly four decades after India won the war against Pakistan, the country is still debating whether there should be a central war memorial.
Defence minister AK Antony with the three service chiefs on Wednesday commemored India's greatest military triumph but 38 years after the 1971 victory, the military top brass still pays homage at India Gate, built as a tribute to soldiers killed defending the British Raj.
India has fought five major wars since 1947 and yet there's no national war memorial for thousands of martyrs, thanks to squabbling between different ministries.
The Defence ministry mooted the latest proposal for a memorial at India Gate, the Urban Development ministry disagreed, now a group of ministers is supposed to take a final decision.
"I hope this time we will be able to find an ultimate solution and we will be able to finally fulfill the long cherished wishes of our country and our armed forces," said Defence Minister AK Antony.
Army chief, General Deepak Kapoor has personally taken up the matter with ministers and even the PMO during the past two years without any result. "It is a must. The earlier it is done, the better it is for the army and for the country," he said.
Distant places like Jammu and Tawang have built local memorials for fallen soldiers but a central memorial continues to elude the Indian armed forces.
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