NEWSNATIONAL

Published:March9,201520:34IST|Updated:March10,201502:40IST
NewDelhi,March9,2015

PresidentPranabMukherjeeinauguratesWWIcentenarycommemoration
DINAKARPERI

PTI
PresidentPranabMukherjeeonthewreathlayingceremonyatIndiaGatewarmemorialoncentenarycommemorationofWorldWarI,in
NewDelhionMonday.AllthreeChiefsofdefenceforcesarealsoseenbehindhim.
TheCentenaryCommemorationoftheFirstWorldWar(19141918),inmemoryofthe1.5millionIndiansoldierswhofoughtinthewar,
beganonMondaywithPresidentPranabMukherjeelayingawreathatAmarJawanJyotiinIndiaGate.
Thecommemoration,fromMarch1014,isalsoinmemoryoftheover74,000soldierswholaiddowntheirlivesfightingthewar,whose
namesareetchedinstoneonthewallsofIndiaGate.TheyfoughtinseveraltheatresacrossAsia,AfricaandEurope.
Thecentenarycommemorationswillcontinuetill2018.
ThisisanendeavouroftheIndianArmytocommemoratethesupremegallantryandsacrificethatIndiansoldiersrenderedinvarious
theatresofWorldWarI,Maj.Gen.N.P.Singh,ChiefofStaffof2Corps,saidduringaninteraction.
March10coincideswiththeBattleofNeuveChapellemarkingtheBritishoffensiveintheArtoisregionofFrance,inwhichtheGarhwal
BrigadeandtheMeerutDivisionoftheIndianCorpsparticipated.Between1914and1918,around90,000Indiansoldiersfoughtonthe
Frenchsoil,morethan8,500ofwhomperished.
GeneralJeanPierreBosser,ChiefofStaffoftheFrenchArmy,iscurrentlyonanofficialvisitinIndiatopaytributetothesacrificeofIndian
soldierswholaiddowntheirlivesforFrancesfreedomduringWorldWarI.
ThehighlightisanexhibitionatManekshawCentreinwhichthemomentsandconditionsofWorldWarIhavebeenrecreated.TheCornerof
RemembranceintheexhibitionwillhaveoldlettersandanoldhomewithbelongingsofsoldierswhiletheSacrificeHallincludesreplicasof
IndianmemorialsandpaintingsofVictoriaCrosswinnersinIndiaandabroad.
TheArmyhasalsocreatedareplicaofaWorldWarIbunkershowcasingthelivingconditionsofthesoldiersthen.
Watchvideo:PresidentlayswreathatmemorialtocommemorateWorldWar1centenary

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