Kolkata, Feb 18 (IANS): The Hilli War Memorial at Balurghat in the Dakshin Dinajpur district of West Bengal will have to be relocated as the front portion of its boundary wall has been razed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for widening of the highway that passes nearby.

The Hilli War Memorial was set up to commemorate the famous Battle of Hilli - considered one of the most decisive and bloodiest battles of the 1971 Indo-Pak War in the eastern sector - and is taken care of by the Zilla Sainik Board of Dakshin Dinajpur.

"This is a war memorial like no other. The Battle of Hilli was fought in two stages and is unique in many ways. Firstly, it began before the official declaration of the war on December 3, 1971 and continued even after the surrender of Pakistani forces in Dhaka on December 16. This was also the battle that gave the Army its only Param Vir Chakra in the eastern theatre. It was awarded to Lance Naik Albert Ekka posthumously. Three Mahavir Chakras were also awarded, two of them posthumously. This indicates how ferocious the battle was," an official said.

According to a source in the Zilla Sainik Board, the matter has been taken up with the district administration and the district magistrate is looking into the matter. A proposal has been mooted to relocate the War Memorial to a vacant plot next to the nearby police station but there are certain technicalities involved, such as the expenses that would be involved for the relocation.

"If the Army is to bear the cost, the land will have to be transferred to the Ministry of Defence. Only then the Zilla Sainik Board can look after the memorial's maintenance as it has been done for so many years. After all, this is an organisation that looks after the welfare of ex-servicemen and works under the state government. There can be another possibility. The NHAI can use its Corporate Social Responsibility funds to relocate the memorial and maintain it properly," a source in the Board said.

Sentiments of both India and Bangladesh are involved with this War Memorial. Hilli continues to remain the border between India and Bangladesh. The main objective of the Battle of Hilli was to capture Bogra and cut off the movement of Pakistani troops from the north to the rest of East Pakistan. Had this objective not been achieved, the war may have continued beyond December 16, 1971, delaying the Liberation of Bangladesh.

Even Mukti Joddhas from Bangladesh consider the War Memorial as a shrine and pay their respects whenever they are in India. Both officers and the troops under them displayed unparalleled acts of gallantry to achieve their objectives.