THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: More than two decades after formal orders were issued, the state capital is set to get a new war memorial commemorating soldiers who fought in the wars and military operations that took place after the country gained Independence. The existing war memorial, which stands opposite the College of Fine Arts at Palayam, commemorates soldiers who fought in World War I. According to top officials of the Directorate of Sainik Welfare, the land has been identified for the memorial near Shangumugham beach. Other details, such as the design, are yet to be worked out. The state government has formed a War Memorial committee with the Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) as chairman and the Director, Sainik Welfare, as secretary. The army station commander, Pangode; state police chief and the district collector are among the members.
The first meeting of the committee is slated to be held on July 16.‘‘In 1996, the Union Home Ministry has asked the states to establish war memorials. Many states complied. Though the Kerala Government had issued orders allotting the land at the time, the project did not take off,’’ A Kishan, director-in-charge, Sainik Welfare, said.
Also, armed forces veterans in the state have been clamouring for a war memorial memorialising the soldiers who fought and laid down their lives in the major post-Independence conflicts. In fact, the state capital also boasts numerous veterans who saw combat in the 1962 India-China war, the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971 and the Kargil war of 1999.
The WW I memorial at Palayam is unique in the sense that it mentions the years as 1914-1921. This is rare as most WW I memorials give them as 1914-1918. 1921 was the year the Berlin Treaty was signed. Another important war memorial that has historical links to Travancore is at Colachel in modern-day Tamil Nadu. The memorial - a soaring pillar - was erected by Marthanda Varma after his forces defeated the Dutch forces in the Battle of Colachel in 1741. Neglected for years, the pillar and its immediate environs were finally taken over by the Military Station based at Pangode in Thiruvananthapuram.
War memorial
The WW I memorial at Palayam is unique in the sense that it mentions the years as 1914-1921. This is rare as most WW I memorials give them as 1914-1918. 1921 was the year the Berlin Treaty was signed. Another important war memorial that has historical links to Travancore is at Colachel in modern-day
Tamil Nadu.