One look at the Chandigarh War Memorial and you feel proud,” says Lt Col J S Kanwar (retd). “Why can’t we have a memorial for martyrs from all over the country?”

A soldier himself, Lt Col Kanwar lost his eldest son Major Sandeep Shankla in 1991 to the bullets of Kashmir militants. “It is a great idea to have a memorial for the martyrs. I congratulate The Indian Express for the initiative. For so many years, we heard of plans for a memorial for the martyrs, but nothing concrete came out of it. It is only when The Indian Express took up the responsibility of constructing the memorial, the dream of the martyrs’ families was realised.”

But a memorial is not only a symbol of respect for the soldier’s ultimate sacrifice, it also inspires and motivates the future generations, reminds the Lt Col. “When people, especially children and youth, come and pay respect to the martyrs at a memorial and ask questions about them, their selfless sacrifices comes alive.”

The Haryana Government has built a memorial for his Ashok Chakra winner son in Panchkula.

Lt Col Kanwar sets the next goal for The Indian Express too. “It is surprising that in the last 60 years, we have failed to have a national level memorial for the martyrs. The time has come for the nation to pay this token respect to the martyrs. The British made the India Gate for the soldiers of the World Wars. It is time Indians dedicated a small piece of architecture for the sons of soil, who gave them dignity and freedom.”

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