School bands will now perform at the National War Memorial
School bands will now perform at the National War Memorial in New Delhi on a regular rotation basis. The decision to allow school bands to perform at the National War Memorial has been taken jointly by the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Education. The objective of this initiative, as per an official statement, is to inculcate the values of patriotism, devotion to duty, courage and sacrifice among the school children and increase the participation of people, especially the youths, so that the students experience the various facets associated with the iconic war memorial.
The official statement further added: “It carries forward the vision of the Veer Gatha project which was jointly organised by Ministries of Defence and Culture to raise awareness among children about the gallant stories of the war heroes and instil the feeling of nationalism in their formative years through enhanced exposure.”
The Ministry of Education has also directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to prepare a schedule of school bands in consultation with Ministry of Education and Government of NCT of Delhi so that schools bands can perform at the war memorial.
The details including place, themes and tunes of the band can be decided in coordination with the Directorate of National War Memorial and Museum, Headquarter Integrated Defence Staff (NWM&M, HQ IDS) keeping in view the sanctity of the Memorial, it added.
The Ministry of Education has also urged the education departments of all states and Union Territories to select one band from the schools of their respective states to perform in coordination with NWM&M, HQ IDS as a part of regular schedule. The CBSE will coordinate with all the schools in coordination with Ministry of Defence.
The tentative date for performances of these school bands at the National War Memorial is from February 22, 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had dedicated the National War Memorial to the nation on February 25, 2019.