2 min readChandigarhJan 31, 2015 03:13 AM IST
First published on: Jan 31, 2015 at 03:13 AM IST
Chandigarh War Memorial in Sector 3.
A contingent of Rajput Regiment reversed arms and the last post was sounded as a mark of respect to the martyrs as Punjab and Haryana Governor Kaptaan Singh Solanki placed a wreath at the Chandigarh War Memorial in Sector 3 on Friday morning.
The solemn ceremony coincided with the two-minute silence observed across the country at 11 am in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi and the martyrs who sacrificed their lives, protecting the freedom and sovereignty of the country.
In paying homage to the martyrs, the Governor led serving and retired military officers, NCC cadets, government officials, citizens and schoolchildren.
“On the Martyrs’ Day, I pay homage to all those martyrs who sacrificed their lives, ensuring freedom and sovereignty of the nation. I also pay homage to the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi. This sacrifice will always be an inspiration and give strength to the country to move forward towards a more secure future,” the Governor wrote in the visitor’s book.
Earlier, Lt Gen K J Singh, GOC-in-C of Western Command, and other senior Army officers, besides decorated war veterans and civil officers, paid homage to the martyrs. Among the retired officers present were Air Marshal Randhir Singh, Brig K S Chandpuri and Col S S Pathania.
For the first time, a choir performed before the ceremony and an Army pipes and drums ensemble played military tunes. The song, “Aye mere watan ke logo…” sung by Ilina Prashar, a sixth class student of Army Public School, Chandimandir, moistened several eyes.
In the evening, the memorial lit up as hundreds of residents, defence personnel and their families, as well as the families of martyrs, gathered there for a candlelight ceremony.
The Chandigarh War Memorial, which was set up with a citizens’ initiative led by The Indian Express, was dedicated to the nation by former president A P J Abdul Kalam in 2006. It is the largest war memorial of its kind in the country, with names of over 10,500 martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation since independence.
Chandigarh War Memorial in Sector 3.
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