They sacrificed their lives so that future generations can live in honour, peace and prosperity. With these words, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam dedicated to the nation the Chandigarh War Memorial to those killed while defending independent India. It is a tribute long overdue: after four wars and many peacetime operations, the nation had so long not bothered with a permanent memorial honouring soldiers fallen in battle. The few that exist in India, such as those in Delhi, were built by the British. This anomaly is even more ironic when one considers the pride of place accorded to the armed forces in the public mindspace; it is the one institution that still enjoys an untainted reputation, the one ordinary citizens turn to for help in times of disaster and distress. Consequently, it is the object of attention for almost every politician or political party, resulting in uninformed, possibly invidious actions. One such endeavour, first reported in this paper, was the government’s ‘census’ of Muslims in the armed forces, undermining its secular ethos.

The Chandigarh War Memorial was born out of a need to redress this imbalance. Our heroes should have a fitting tribute from the people they serve. And it’s this public-private partnership, under The Indian Express Citizens’ Initiative, that makes the Chandigarh War Memorial unique. It has been built entirely on private donations, whether from corporate houses or the public at large.

It is also fitting that the memorial was dedicated to the nation by the president, who is supreme commander of the armed forces. He has, typically, been an active participant on the memorial since its early stages. On his suggestion part of the funds collected will be used to set up or upgrade schools in villages with the maximum number of soldiers killed in action. That will go some way in securing what our armed forces fought for.