Rapid Fire
Memorials for Leaders
- 02 Jan 2025
- 2 min read
Recently, the cremation of former Prime Minister (PM) Manmohan Singh was held at open-to-public Nigambodh Ghat, a departure from previous practices of cremating at designated sites followed by the establishment of memorials.
- Rules and Conventions: Although there are no specific rules mandating memorials for former PMs, they were generally cremated at designated sites, and most have memorials in Delhi or elsewhere.
- Origins and Legacy of Memorials: Raj Ghat (Mahatma Gandhi) set the precedent for leader memorials, signifying peace and national unity.
- Leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru (Shanti Van), Lal Bahadur Shastri (Vijay Ghat), Indira Gandhi (Shakti Sthal) and Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Smriti Sthal) followed the tradition of memorials symbolizing their legacies.
- Political Ideologies: Memorials often reflect political ideologies, for instance, P.V. Narasimha Rao's Gyan Bhumi was established by the current NDA government after being previously denied by Congress, while VP Singh remains the only former PM without a memorial.
- Maintenance of Memorials: Memorials are primarily maintained by State Governments, local municipalities, and occasionally the Central Government through the Ministry of Urban Development.
- Memorials Across India & Symbolism: Rajendra Prasad (Bihar), B R Ambedkar (Mumbai), Morarji Desai (Ahmedabad) and Gulzarilal Nanda- Interim PM (Ahmedabad).
- Memorial names reflect leader identities, e.g., Shastri’s Vijay Ghat (victory), Indira’s Shakti Sthal (strength), and Charan Singh’s Kisan Ghat (farmer leadership).
Read More: Dr. Manmohan Singh, PM Dedicates Salt Satyagraha Memorial to Nation
