In a move that is being looked upon as deft politics, the Congress government in Chhattisgarh decided to establish an 'Amar Jawan Jyoti' on the campus of the Chhattisgarh Armed Forces (CAF) 4th battalion in Mana of state capital Raipur.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said the memorial will honour the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country. The foundation stone for the Amar Jawan Jyoti will be laid by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on February 3.
On the same day, Gandhi will also launch a welfare scheme of the state government for landless agriculture labourers (Rajiv Gandhi Bhoomihin Krishi Majdoor Nyay Yojana) and also lay foundation stone for a Gandhi Ashram on the lines of Sevagram in Wardha at Nava Raipur, the new capital settlement.
On January 21, when the decision to merge the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate in Delhi with one at the National War Memorial was announced, Gandhi had said that it was a matter of great sadness that the flame that burnt for the brave soldiers was being extinguished. “Some people cannot understand patriotism and sacrifice. No matter, we will once again light the Amar Jawan Jyoti for our soldiers,” he had tweeted.
The decision of the Chhattisgarh government is being seen in this context. In another gesture, the Chhattisgarh government included the 'Abide with me' hymn in a performance by the Chhattisgarh police band on Sunday evening to mark the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The decision of the Union government to exclude this tune, considered a favourite of the Mahatma, from the 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony has also created a row.
'Society that forgets sacrifices, gets destroyed'
While announcing the plan to set up the 'Amar Jawan Jyoti', Baghel said the Congress party has a history of sacrifices and it knows how to honour sacrifices. “Our history has been a witness that any society that does not honour its martyrs, does not preserve the memories of their sacrifices, insults their symbols, gets destroyed.”
The CM said that in the year 1972, the first woman prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi, lit the Amar Jawan Jyoti in New Delhi in honour of the martyred brave soldiers of the country. “The eternal flame of Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate was visible to visitors and instilled in them a sense of pride and gratitude towards the martyrs of the country.”
Baghel said the move of the Union government to shift the Amar Jawan Jyoti and merge it with National War Memorial flame, had hurt his sentiments, so now, the flame of Chhattisgarh Amar Jawan Jyoti will be lit in the honour of the martyrs in Raipur. The flame will honour the martyrdom of the sons of Chhattisgarh who sacrificed their lives for the country by joining uniformed service, as well as the brave hearts of the country who sacrificed their lives in Chhattisgarh, the CM said.
On Sunday, Baghel launched a fresh attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying “Those who have nothing to do with martyrdom or sacrifice, they can't understand the meaning of Amar Jawan Jyoti. Modiji's and our ideologies are like two banks of river that can never meet. Congress ideology is the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi, including peace, brotherhood, truth and non-violence. Modiji's way is the way of Sawarkar and Godse and includes violence, conspiracy, where there is no respect for dissent and it is crushed.”
Wall of honour
A wall with names of martyrs, memorial tower and VVIP platform will also be set up at Amar Jawan Jyoti in Chhattisgarh, a government communique said. The wall will be constructed with brown marble with the names of martyrs engraved on it. A memorial tower with a symbol on top and a 'rifle and helmet' insignia on its foundation will be constructed and the flame of the 'Chhattisgarh Amar Jawan Jyoti' will burn in front of this insignia, very much on the lines of the Delhi Amar Jawan Jyoti. The flame will burn continuously.
