To remind students of sacrifices made by soldiers, JNU inaugurates Wall of Heroes

Vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar along with army veterans inaugurated the wall on Tuesday at the university convention centre. JNU has become the first university to have such a wall.

A “Wall of Heroes” with photos of 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees was inaugurated at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Tuesday.

Vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar along with army veterans inaugurated the wall on Tuesday at the university convention centre. JNU has become the first university to have such a wall. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar along with army veterans inaugurated the wall on Tuesday at the university convention centre. JNU has become the first university to have such a wall.

Kumar said the wall will remind students of the sacrifices made by the country’s armed forces.

“If we are simply peaceful and tolerant society, that is not enough because there are forces both from outside the country and inside the country that are trying to destabilise the country. It is in this context that our soldiers play a key role in ensuring the safety of the country,” he said.

The V-C said it was because of sacrifices of the armed forces that people could debate and discuss in peace.

“Today if we are able to sit in out laboratories and study. If students can discuss and debate peacefully, it is only because of their sacrifices,” he said.

The JNU programme was part of a nationwide ‘Vidya Veerta Abhiyan’, an initiative of the Human Resource Ministry, said JNU registrar Pramod Kumar.

For over one year, JNU has been facing unrest after the incident of February 9, 2016 when anti-national slogans were allegedly raised on the campus.

Last year, a group of veterans had suggested to the JNU V-C that portraits of martyrs and tanks used in wars should be displayed on the campus to instil nationalism in students.

Former BJP MP Tarun Vijay, who was present at the event said, “JNU has become the first university to inaugurate the wall. Dedicate the evening to Lt Umar Fayyaz and his mother.”