By Independence Day, a war memorial for every village panchayat

Aditi Tandon

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New Delhi, July 31

By this Independence Day, every village panchayat in India will have a war memorial of its own, saluting the memory of martyrs with their names inscribed on a special structure to come up at a prominent local site.

The plan is part of the nationwide campaign “Meri Maati Mera Desh” that will mark the culmination of yearlong Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations which started on the Independence Day last year.

The campaign, to be held across all 2.5 lakh gram panchayats between August 9 (Quit India Day anniversary) and August 15 (Independence Day), will conclude on August 30 at New Delhi’s Kartavya Path with the dedication of a uniquely landscaped garden to be curated with the soil sourced from all villages in the country.

Memorials to display…

• Name and location of panchayat
• Name of martyrs from village
• Salutations to bravehearts
• PM’s quote for Vision 2047

“A fundamental aspect of the campaign is the expression of gratitude to brave hearts who sacrificed their lives for the unity of India,” official sources said, adding that the village level war memorial – the Shilaphalakam – would serve as a permanent expression of national gratitude to martyrs and will bring people together. Names of village martyrs will be inscribed on these memorials.

For the purpose of the campaign, martyrs have been defined as “freedom fighters; defence personnel (Army, Navy, Air Force); or state police forces and Central Armed Police Forces personnel who have died in the line of duty.”

Campaign details, accessed by The Tribune show, that the villagers will, on Independence Day this year, gather at the war memorial site, hoist the National Flag, sing the National Anthem, and take the “Panch pran pledge” which Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 75th Independence Day.

These pledges include “playing a part in building a developed India; removing all traces of slavery; preserving heritage; striving to maintain unity and promising to fulfil duties.”

Once village events end on August 15, youth volunteers from all over India will collect the soil from each village and travel to Delhi on August 27 with 7500 urns containing the soil which will ultimately become part of the “Amrit Vatika”, to be landscaped at Delhi’s Kartavya Path as a symbol of national unity.