A delegation led by Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, along with Asafwala War Memorial Committee president Karan Gilhotra, met President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on Tuesday and invited her to attend the annual Vijay Diwas programme at Asafwala in Fazilka in December.Gilhotra said the delegation briefed the President about the history of the Asafwala War Memorial and the supreme sacrifices made by Indian soldiers in the Fazilka sector during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The delegation presented her with a formal invitation, a handmade painting of the Asafwala memorial and a coffee-table book documenting the legacy of the martyrs.During the meeting, President Murmu suggested that the history of the Asafwala martyrs be included in the school curriculum so that younger generations could learn about the soldiers’ sacrifices, develop a spirit of patriotism and draw inspiration from their lives.Gilhotra said Governor Kataria assured the President that every possible effort would be made to incorporate the history of Asafwala and its martyrs into the educational curriculum.As many as 232 Indian Army soldiers lost their lives while defending the Fazilka sector during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Residents of the area, under the banner of the Asafwala War Memorial Committee, subsequently established the memorial to honour the fallen soldiers. The mortal remains of the martyrs have been preserved at the memorial’s sanctum sanctorum.The Asafwala War Memorial has since emerged as a symbol of the valour and sacrifice of soldiers who fought in the Fazilka sector. The annual Vijay Diwas programme is organised at the memorial in December to commemorate their sacrifice.