Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij said on Tuesday that a 210-ft-high national flag will be installed at Shaheed Smarak in Ambala Cantonment.
The minister visited Shaheed Smarak to inspect the proposed location for the installation of the national flag and held discussions with officials. He directed the authorities concerned to expedite the installation process.
Vij said “Azadi ki Pehli Ladai ka Shaheed Smarak” built in Ambala Cantonment is set to emerge as a new centre of patriotism not only for Haryana but for the entire nation. It has been decided that a 210-ft-high flag will be installed in the memorial complex.
He added that the Tricolour will stand taller than the 206-ft memorial tower and will become the tallest national flag in Ambala, symbolising patriotism and national pride visible from afar.
Dr Kuldeep Saini, Director, Shaheed Smarak, said the national flag will be installed by Flag Foundation of India and a technical team will soon visit the memorial for the work. The Tricolour fluttering at a height of 210 ft at the memorial will symbolise the supreme sacrifice of the martyrs. In the coming years, the memorial is expected to attract tourists from across the world, much like Kurukshetra and other historic destinations. Shaheed Smarak is poised to become one of India’s major historical landmarks.
Officials said the national flag should always remain the highest point at any memorial, as it represents honour, sovereignty, and national pride. The decision was taken so that every visitor arriving at the memorial first witnesses the grandeur of Tiranga, the pride and identity of the nation.
The “smarak”, dedicated to the First War of Independence of 1857, is spread across 22 acres on the Ambala-Delhi national highway. The memorial pays tribute to the unsung heroes who sacrificed their lives in 1857. Construction work of the memorial is now complete and it is expected to be inaugurated soon.
Vij said, “Ambala Cantonment is known as the land of bravehearts, from where the flame of the 1857 freedom struggle spread. Shaheed Smarak has been established to honour the sacrifices of freedom fighters. A grand statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose has been installed at Subhash Park in Ambala Cantonment as a tribute to his legacy. Similarly, a statue of Bhagat Singh has been installed at the SDM office premises, and the statues of Sukhdev and Rajguru will soon be installed there.”
