The eternal flame called The Amar Jawan Jyoti will be extinguished and the flame will be carried to merge with the National War Memorial. The Amar Jawan Jyoti has been burning since fifty years in remembrance of the soldiers who gave away their lives for the nation.
Amid severe criticism by the opposition regarding this move as an insult to all the martyrs, the Government of India has hit back defending the move and said, “The flame of the Amar Jawan Jyoti is not being extinguished. It is being merged with the flame at the National War Memorial. It was an odd thing to see that the flame at Amar Jawan Jyoti paid homage to the martyrs of the 1971 and other wars but none of their names are present there.”
“The names inscribed on the India Gate are of only some martyrs who fought for the British in the World War 1 & the Anglo Afghan War & thus is a symbol of our colonial past. The names of all Indian martyrs from all the wars, including 1971 and wars before and after it, are housed at the National War Memorial. Hence, it is a true shraddhanjali to have the flame paying tribute to martyrs there,” they added.