Material forms of memorialisation in pre- and post-independent India

ABSTRACT

For those who study war memorialisation, there are concerns that perspectives from the West appear predominantly in the literature. Initially, memorials were constructed for glorifying the sacrifices of the war dead followed by architectural designs that emerged to counter the memories of the Holocaust. Interpretations from India offer a differential analysis. The styles of memorials from the pre-independent era served to impose colonial memories. This began to change after independence culminating into structures that reaffirmed respect for freedom and security. Critically, a comparative analysis highlights the intricate relations between memorial styles and social sentiments that are unique to societies.

KEYWORDS:

• Design
• affirmative memorials
• imposing memorials
• transitional justice
• Indian history
• aesthetics

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 Whether this choice is a conscious decision is beyond the scope of the present analysis.

2 The premises is not freely available for leisurely activities anymore. The easy access that was previously provided to traffic has now been restricted (Kishore, 2015).

3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz_oWwNjYJU

4 Conveyed by the visitors to the first author.

5 Source: Outlook. https://www.outlookindia.com/national/the-symbolism-of-netaji-subhas-chandra-bose-s-grand-statue-at-the-india-gate-news-46851.

6 Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/subhas-chandra-bose-a-flawed-hero/article32525573.ece.

7 Source: Republic World. https://www.republicworld.com/india-news/general-news/on-netajis-birth-anniversary-oldest-ina-veteran-demands-memorial-for-martyred-ina-jawans-articleshow.html.

8 Source: Indian Prime Minister’s official website. https://www.narendramodi.in/netaji-subhas-chandra-bose-s-grand-statue-to-be-installed-at-india-gate-says-prime-minister-narendra-modi-559564.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Neha Khetrapal

Neha Khetrapal is an Associate Professor at the Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences. She earned her PhD (Linguistics) at Macquarie University (Australia) in 2016. As a researcher, she is interested in the role of collective memory that is implicated in supporting transitions witnessed in post-conflict societies. Her recent research endeavor, within this domain, elucidates the aesthetics of commemorative practices, as gleaned from built styles. Here, she takes a cross-cultural approach to highlight how commemoration may take on different ‘visual’ forms in the form of peace and war memorials.

Kritika Karmakar

Kritika Karmakar earned her Bachelor's degree in International Affairs with a specialization in Defense and National Security at the O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) in 2021. She has been awarded the Best Student for Research Initiatives as well as a Certificate for Excellence for Student Research in the year 2020 by JGU. Additionally she has secured the first position in P.G (Diploma) in Research and Innovation in 2022 at JGU, wherein her research focused on building community resilience through counter-terrorism measures. Her research interests include social and cultural psychology, security and strategy, counter-terrorism and resilience studies.