Sonowal to open War Memorial today

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, August 14: ‘When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today.’ This evocative epitaph, conveying the message from the souls of soldiers who sacrificed their lives in wars, is to be enshrined on the Guwahati War Memorial which Assam Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal is going to open tomorrow, putting an end to the hot debate over it.

The war memorial will be towards the Gauhati High Court side of Dighalipukhuri in Guwahati. ‘War Memorial’ is written atop the main gate. Soon after entering the gate a visitor finds in his left a 43-tonne tanker – Vijayanta Tank – built in India and inducted into service in 1965. It is famous for its accuracy and reliable 105 mm main gun. It proved its mettle in the 1971 Indo-Pak War. It was phased out from Indian Army in 2004.  In his right, the visitor finds a ‘MiG-27 ML Bahadur’ inducted into Indian Air Force (IAF) in 1986. It tasted blood in the Kargil conflict and Operation Parakram. It was in the forefront of the defence of India’s skies for three decades.

From there a visitor has to step down to find a life-size statue of Veer Lachit Borphukan in full military gear with a pose as though he is on board a boat. Written in front of the image on an altar is ‘Amar Jawan’ with a jawan standing by its side, bowing down.

The Rs 7.50-crore project was taken up in 2015. Sainik Welfare Board Director Commodore (retd) KC Choudhury said: “This’ll be a temple of martyrs. People should throng it and pay their respects so as to let the souls of the battle heroes rest in eterl peace.”

Choudhury said that the Assam Chief Minister is set to open it for visitors at 5.50 pm tomorrow. Singer hid Afrin will sing Lata Mangeskar’s ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon’ and Samar Hazarika will sing Bhupen number ‘Koto Jawanor Mrityu Hol’. It will be followed by the performance of Army band – Sare Jahan Se Achcha’, and ‘Bande Mataram’ by the IAF Band.