War memorial, army museum to come up in Mumbai to commemorate 75th year of independence

Mumbai will soon get a war museum and an Army memorial coinciding with the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav series of pan-India events.

The finer details of the project were discussed threadbare at a high-level meeting held in Mumbai presided over by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Thackeray asked officials to scout and finalise a location for the coveted project.

“We must finalise a location, start work on war-footing and open part of it by August 15 next year for the public,” said Thackeray, who heads the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

Among those present at the meeting were Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte, Additional Chief Secretary Ashish Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary Vikas Kharge, Principal Secretary Bhushan Gagrani, Mumbai’s Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, Lieutenant General SK Parashar, the General Officer Commanding, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area and Brigadier Dr Achalesh Shankar.

During the meeting, Thackeray asked for the setting up of an advisory and designing committee to take the project forward. The Chief Minister suggested that people visiting the museum should get information about the training and life in the army, how army bunkers look, how soldiers survive in extreme weather conditions like that of the Siachen Glacier or in scorching deserts with heavy weapons.

“The museum should tell stories of the heroism of the defence forces, the soldiers and officers from the state who participated and fought in various wars, display the weapons and ammunition, tanks, planes, boats, medals, uniforms and rank structure of the soldiers,” he said.

Besides, there will be replicas of aircraft, boats, helicopters and tanks at the museum with historical information about Indian Independence.

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