Omar Abdullah to inaugurate war memorial in Jammu

War memorial to remember not only the soldiers,but also the civilians and paramilitary forces who died in wars with Pakistan and China in J-K.

Battle tanks have been readied and soldiers and labourers are working round the clock,but not for war. Instead hundreds of soldiers in the heart of Jammu city with a clutch of masons and sweepers drawn from different parts of the country dust off the floor of an imposing granite structure,fill the grooves between the marble with cement mortar,check the fountains to remember not only the soldiers,but even civilians and paramilitary forces who died in wars with Pakistan and China in Jammu and Kashmir.

The work is done to throw open for public the first of its kind war memorial in the country in Jammu which has been built over an expanse of 11 acre land,has a 60-metre high memorial tower and nearly 50 columns which bear the names of all those who died in the wars with India and China. The war memorial is being inaugurated by Chief Minister,Omar Abdullah,on November 24.

Days before,army is doing everything so that the war memorial which has been built with granite stone and white marble is ready for public visits. Soldiers have lined the tanks on both the sides of the road leading to the war memorial. The pools are being filled with water,the lights are being checked,and as they play the Vande Matram song fountains gush out water.

I have been regularly visiting here for the last one year from here and on the day of inauguration I will run the musical fountains, said,Havaldar,Kulwinder Singh,working for armys engineering wing. A labourer from Chattisgarh,Jawahar Verma,has been away from his home at Raipur in Chattisgarh to see that the war memorial was completed on time. I came to Jammu and Kashmir three years back and found the work here. I have been living only nearby. I am proud to be working for the construction of war memorial,said,Verma.

On a long wall made from black marble- there are feats achieved by the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir in the wars with both Pakistan and China. Engraved in golden letters,the war memorial describes the reasons for which the wars were fought with Pakistan and China. Like the feats achieved by army in the Kargil war,beginning from the incursions from Pakistan army to the battle in Drass and Batalik sub sectors and lastly the defeat of Pakistani army.

The war memorial has been constructed with the dry cladding of granite stone and instead of cement mortar we have used the clamps to fix the granite stones in building the tower,said,an army official. The memorial has come up in a time of four years and has been constructed at a cost of Rs 10.75 crore. After the inauguration of the war memorial it will be later thrown open for public and state government will allow entry into it on the tickets.

The war memorial is a monument of national significance and a dignified resting place for the souls of our departed brave hearts. The war memorial immortalizes the sacrifices of martyrs from all States of the Indian Union in wars since 1947 and it is to promote national integration an immortal link with people of Jammu and Kashmir,said,a Defence Spokesman.

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