Remembering the warriors — with moist eyes, sense of pride

Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 14

For the past six weeks, each day as the sun is about to set, a solemn ceremony is conducted at the National War Memorial at India Gate. It leaves hundreds in attendance with moist eyes when the wife or mother of a dead military hero is invited to lay a wreath at the memorial.

Minutes after the wreath-laying, the Tricolour and flags of the three armed forces are lowered amid full military regalia with the famous ‘last post’ playing in the background, all timed to perfection as daylight disappears behind Raisina Hill.

The Tribune witnessed two such ceremonies — one on April 6 to honour Major Satish Dahiya, who laid down his life in counter-insurgency operations in February 2017, and the other on April 10 to honour Major CB Dwivedi, who laid down his life during the Kargil war on July 2, 1999.

As this wreath-laying is being done, there is pin-drop silence at the memorial even as peak-hour Delhi traffic passes around India Gate — some 150 yards away. 

Before the wreath-laying, the troops on duty announce to visitors — mostly civilians — the ‘exploits’ of the martyr and talk about his family.

Visitors are briefed on why they have to keep standing during the brief ceremony. A smartly-attired military man walks up to escort the family to the wreath-laying rostrum at the newly-minted memorial, which opened on February 26.

Emotions flow, and standing in attention — not with military precision — visitors have moist eyes, as smartphones record every little detail. As the ceremony ends, the visitors’ book, which has comments from all those who have been invited so far, is offered to the family of the military hero.

Major Dahiya’s wife Sujata Dahiya described her experience: “Satish, I felt your presence here.” Maj Dwivedi’s wife Bhawna Dwivedi wrote: “We are truly humbled.”

There have been 37 families who have been accorded the honour of laying a wreath at this solemn sunset ceremony. These include five officers of the Indian Army, two of the Navy, besides 32 other ranks.

The memorial has 26,000 names of all those who have died in line of operational duty since 1947. This includes wars, insurgencies, and rescue operations.