The name of Noida township has gained so much popularity among the residents of Delhi, UP and Haryana that the people have forgotten its full name i.e. New Okhla Industrial Development Authority. Since 1976, the township has been on the way to becoming a well-planned future oriented integrated centre covering 20,316 hectares with most sectors fully developed. Soon, it started attracting people from many parts of the country. Today it has well-defined and vibrant economic, commercial, industrial and residential sectors. Since it is well connected to places like Faridabad, Gurgaon, Delhi and Meerut, it is also a preferred place of residence for many working at nearby locations. A number of educational and medical institutions have been started here. The town has a well laid-out and upcoming sports complex. There are religious institutions, clubs and community centres to cater to the spiritual, social and cultural needs of the Noidaites.

However, the township was without any symbol of national importance—a symbol which would inspire the youth to adopt, nurture and acquire the values of selfless service for the good of fellow citizens and the country. There have been no institutions or landmarks to remind the citizens of the sacrifices made by the people to uphold the integrity of the nation and which, in turn, would draw the attention of citizens in the task of national building.

People from all walks of life reside in Noida. Amongst them are serving and retired personnel of the Armed Forces. Most of them are in areas like Arun Vihar and Jal Vayu Vihar. Many of them are war veterans. In the recent past, several members of the younger generation brought glory to the nation while defending the borders and fighting the terrorists and insurgents. Noidaites are proud of their sacrifices and acknowledged it by naming a road or two after them. But there was nothing beyond it.

The idea of constructing a Shaheed Memorial first came up for consideration in the General Body Meeting of Arun Vihar Residents Association in 1997. The suggestion was well received. It was decided to pursue it and explore the feasibility of generating the resources for its construction. The Memorial would be in honour of those who made the supreme sacrifice and whose families were residing in Noida. It soon became clear that individuals, institutions, services, business houses and corporate sector would have to be tapped for donations. It was evident that it called for hard work of reaching out to people and persuading them to be a part of this venture by contributing in whatever manner they could. The management of Arun Vihar Residents Association volunteered to transform the idea into reality.

The proposal was discussed with Noida Authorities. The response was encouraging to facilitate the process of approaching people for donations and contributions in kind. A charitable society was registered. CEO Noida, GOC HQ Delhi Area and Mr PK Kaul, IAS, former ambassador to USA, agreed to be the patrons and gave a lot of strength to the activities of the Society. The task of looking after the office work was taken up by Brig Rabi Paliwal and Brig SPS Shrikent. A number of volunteer teams were put together with the task of conceptualising the form and design of the Memorial, identifying the site for construction, developing and enlarging the membership and above all launching a systematic drive for identifying the possible donors and making collection. A brochure was prepared by Lt Gen GL Bakshi and his team for articulating the scheme amongst the Noidaites and other like - minded people and explaining the objectives of the Society. Accordingly, Noida Authorities were approached to allot a suitable site for the memorial. Kargil added momentum to the processing of the proposal. Eventually, in July 1999, the Authorities allotted the site and approved the scheme with some stipulations. Further progress now depended upon donations. The first significant help in the matter came from Income Tax Department. It granted tax exemption to donors under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act.

Despite long hours put in by all the teams the progress remained sluggish and, in fact, discouraging throughout the year 2000 and the first half of the year 2001. Once again, Arun Vihar colony came forward with a donation of Rs 3 lakh, one lakh each from the Arun Vihar Institute, Arun Vihar Community Centre and Residents Welfare Association. Slowly the kitty started building up. Ninetytwo per cent of these donations came from the service personnel, units and formation headquarters. At this stage, there were enough indications that the task of constructing the memorial and developing site could be taken up on ground. In September, 2001, Lt Gen Jagdish Narain and Mr G B Pant were given the ‘go ahead’ signal. After a ceremonial inaugural, the work commenced. There were some initial hiccups and uncertainty whether fund collection would be able to keep pace with the progress of works. Fortunately, there has been no disruption in construction work and development of site as the Society received some generous help from Electrical and Forest Departments of Noida Administration as also from individuals.

Nine names spanning different times and different conflicts found a permanent place in a small park in the township of Noida. A hitherto barren and patchy plot in Noida’s Sector 29 which has served as a pitch for many a cricket match between the local lads, acquired the new found honour of war memorial for the township’s braves. Inaugurated by the three Chiefs of Staff of the defence forces on April 13 last, the memorial marked the end of four years of hard toil, planning, conceptualising, designing and implementation. This may well be the first memorial in the country to have been erected by the combined efforts of a town's people. Nomenclatured as Noida Shaheed Smarak, the marble and concrete memorial honours the memory of nine officers of the Indian Army and Air Force who laid
down their lives in the service of the nation.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chief of the Army Staff, Gen S Padmanabhan said, "When a community gathers to honour its brave sons, it is a very moving sight." "I have never attended a function such as this one where the community has gathered to honour its braves in this manner," he added. The ceremony was also attended by Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy and Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Madhvendra Singh. Earlier in the ceremony, the students of the Army Public School, Noida presented national song.

For the families of those whose names are inscribed on the memorial, it was the fulfilment of a dream cherished in their hearts for a long time. "Finally all the martyrs have been given the recognition they deserve," said the people present at the inaugural function. Maj Naurial was awarded Kirti Chakra posthumously for gallant action while fighting against terrorists in Punjab in 1990. Capt DS Ahlawat was awarded Mahavir Chakra posthumously for displaying bravery in the 1971 war. In all, there are nine martyrs listed out on the memorial.
2/Lt S Kumar attained glory in 1971 in the prime of his life. He hailed from 17 Armoured Regiment. Sqn Ldr IH Naqvi is the only name from IAF. He attained martyrdom in 1984. Lt Col AK Chabra belonging to 10 Para Commando attained martyrdom in 1989. Capt S Sharma of Artillery attained martyrdom in 1995. Capt Shashi Kant Sharma of J & K LI made supreme sacrifice in 1998. Capt Vijyant Thapar of 2 Rajputana Rifles attained martyrdom in 1999 and Maj Sanjay Sood, belonging to 21 Rashtriya Rifles, sacrificed his life for the country in the year 2000.

Now, funds would be required for the upkeep of the site and maintenance of the memorial. The Society does not have sufficient resources. Let us hope that the torch lit by Noida Shaheed Memorial Society will be kept burning by the posterity. Cooperation of all is solicited for taking up this responsibility to make the memorial a true symbol of nationhood.