Chapter 5 — Unit 5: Bravehearts

The National War Memorial is a tribute to the brave men and women of India's Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives in wars after Independence. Its construction began in April 2018 and it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2019. It is spread over 40 acres of land near India Gate in New Delhi.

The four concentric circles are: Amar Chakra (Circle of Immortality) — the innermost circle with a 15-metre central obelisk and the Amar Jawan Jyoti eternal flame; Veerta Chakra (Circle of Bravery) — a covered gallery with six bronze murals depicting battle actions; Tyag Chakra (Circle of Sacrifice) — walls of honour with granite tablets bearing names of fallen soldiers in golden letters; and Raksha Chakra (Circle of Protection) — the outermost circle of trees symbolising soldiers safeguarding the country.

More than 26,000 names of fallen soldiers are etched on 29,000 granite tablets. Each tablet is dedicated to a soldier who made the supreme sacrifice in the various wars India fought from 1947, including the Indo-China conflict of 1962, the Indo-Pak Wars of 1965 and 1971, and the Kargil War of 1999.

The Amar Jawan Jyoti is an eternal flame that burns continuously day and night to revere the sacrifices of India's soldiers. It is housed in the obelisk at the centre of the National War Memorial and symbolises the immortality of the spirit of fallen soldiers. The original flame was earlier lit under the arch of India Gate in January 1972 to commemorate India's victory in the 1971 war; it was later merged with the new flame at the National War Memorial.

Major Somnath Sharma was posthumously awarded India's first Param Vir Chakra for his actions in the Battle of Badgam in 1947. The Param Vir Chakra is India's highest wartime gallantry medal, and 21 bravehearts in total have received it.

During the 1971 war, at Gangasagar on the eastern front, Lance Naik Albert Ekka of 14 Guards charged an enemy bunker with complete disregard for his own safety, bayoneted two enemy soldiers, and silenced a Light Machine Gun. Though seriously wounded, he continued fighting and later scaled the wall of a fortified building to silence an enemy Medium Machine Gun, saving his company and ensuring the success of the attack. He succumbed to his injuries after the capture of the objective and was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra.

Major Padmapani Acharya of 2 Rajputana Rifles was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (India's second highest gallantry award) for his action on 28 June 1999 during Operation Vijay (the Kargil War). He led his reserve platoon through raining artillery shells to capture a heavily fortified enemy position, crawled up under heavy fire to lob grenades, and — despite being seriously injured and unable to move — ordered his men to charge while he continued firing. The objective was captured, but he succumbed to his injuries. Before battle, he quoted the Bhagavad Gita in a letter to his father, saying he was unafraid to lay down his life for the motherland.

The poem "My Dear Soldiers" was written by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. It addresses soldiers as defenders of borders who guard the nation in all terrains and in all weather — windy seasons, snowy days, and scorching heat — whether climbing heights, striding valleys, defending deserts, guarding marshes, or maintaining surveillance at sea and in the air. The poem acknowledges that soldiers give the prime of their youth to the nation and closes with a prayer for their well-being and blessings.

"Pushp ki Abhilasha" (The Flower's Wish) is a Hindi poem by Makhanlal Chaturvedi that Ananda recalls in her letter to Soumya. In the poem, a flower expresses its wish not to be woven into ornaments or placed on the bodies of emperors or gods, but to be thrown on the path taken by the brave warriors who march to sacrifice their lives for the motherland.

Rani Abbakka was a 16th-century queen of Ullal who refused to pay tribute to the Portuguese colonial power, declaring Ullal a sovereign country. She allied with the Zamorin of Kozhikode, ordered merchant ships to be built, and established profitable trade with Arabia in defiance of the Portuguese. She is remembered as a courageous woman warrior who resisted colonial power.

Captain Anuj Nayyar of the 17 Jat regiment was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for exemplary valour during the Kargil War in 1999. Ananda reads about him in the newspaper and mentions that his mother Meena Nayyar has written a memoir titled "Tiger of Drass – Capt. Anuj Nayyar – 23 – Kargil Hero". Ananda is inspired and hopes to learn more about him.

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