Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 20

As part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, the Swarnim Vijay Mashaal or the victory flame traversing the four corners of the country, will pass through 11 key battle locations in the Western Theatre, from where soil will be collected and used for tree plantation function at the National War Memorial at New Delhi on the war’s 50th anniversary next year.

The victory flame that was launched from New Delhi this month is scheduled to arrive at Headquarters Western Command, Chandimandir, on January 14, 2021, where several commemorative events will be held, Col RS Mangat said while presenting a curtain raiser at the Military Literature Festival here today.

In the northern region, the flame will pass through the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, touching 35 locations enroute. Events such as felicitating gallantry awardees and war widows of 1971, equipment and band display, mini-marathons, motivational lectures and photo exhibitions will be held at these locations.

Three other victory flames are passing through other regions of the country, which will finally converge and merge at the National War Memorial in Delhi where the final mega commemorative events would be held on 15-16 December next year. Film festivals and a tri-service mountaineering expedition are other events being organised in the coming year.