German armed forces head becomes first non-Indian to pay respect at National War Memorial

German Armed Forces chief General Eberhard Zorn Saturday became the first foreign dignitary to pay respect to India's fallen heroes at the newly built National War Memorial here, officials said. Zorn, who is currently on a visit to India from March 2 to 4 paid tribute at the memorial, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 25.

He became the first foreign dignitary to pay respect at the memorial, a senior official said. Earlier foreign dignitaries used to pay respect to India's fallen heroes at the Amar Jawan Jyoti memorial beneath the iconic India Gate.

With the inauguration of the National War Memorial, foreign dignitaries shall pay homage there now, officials said. Prime Minister Modi had dedicate the memorial to the nation, built in memory of soldiers killed in action since Independence near the India Gate complex here, by lighting a flame positioned at the bottom of the stone-made obelisk.

Ahead of the inauguration, senior defence officers had said the Amar Jawan Jyoti, built in 1972 underneath the India Gate arch to commemorate the country's soldiers killed in the India-Pakistan War of 1971, "will continue to be there". Amar Jawan Jyoti is a memorial symbolised by an inverted bayonet and soldier's helmet over it with eternal flame burning beside it.

The National War Memorial, spread over 40 acres behind the India Gate canopy, is dedicated to soldiers killed during the India-China war of 1962, India-Pakistan wars of 1947, 1965 and 1971, Indian Peace Keeping Force Operations in Sri Lanka and in the Kargil conflict of 1999, and also those in UN peacekeeping missions. The names of 25,942 battle casualties have been inscribed across 16 walls at the national memorial.

(With inputs from agencies.)