Lt Gen J F R Jacob (retd), a 1971 war hero and former Chandigarh administrator who had conceived the idea of the memorial, delivered a stirring reminder to the President: “I look upon you as the Supreme Commander of the armed forces and I speak to you as an old soldier.”

And speak he did like a soldier, recalling how when he was serving, all his troops came from the erstwhile united Punjab. Many of them had now found place on the granite walls of the memorial designed by two young students of the Chandigarh College of Architecture (CCA).

“I wanted the freshness of the youth in the memorial,” said Jacob, calling it a Shaandaar Yaadgaar.

Saluting the martyrs, Gen S F Rodrigues (retd), Chandigarh administrator and a former Army chief, said what made these men special was that they had put India first in their hearts, minds and souls.

As Kalam listened, the soldiers also raised the issue of indifference towards their welfare. Turning to the President, Jacob asked: “Are you doing enough for the widows, the disabled soldiers? Search your conscience...”

Gen Rodrigues dwelt on the “crying need” for a similar memorial in New Delhi. “I hope by some mysterious alchemy, we will be able to pay homage to the heroes there before we die,” he said to cheers from the audience which included a large number of retired and serving officers, including former Army chief Gen V P Malik, GOC-in-C, Western Command, Lt Gen Daljeet Singh and AOC-in-C, Western Command, Air Marshal A K Singh.

... contd.