Heptulla to unfurl tricolour, unveil wall of heroes at Jamia

New Delhi: Manipur governor and former minority affairs minister Najma Heptulla, who recently took over as the Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, would unfurl a national flag and unveil the Wall of Heroes, on her maiden visit to the varsity on June 19, a release from the university said on Thursday.

Ms Heptulla, would unfurl a national flag hoisted on a 102-foot-high pole near the entrance of the vice-chancellor’s office, it added.

She would also unveil the “Wall of Heroes” in the Dr Zakir Husain library, which would display the photographs of the 21 Param Vir Chakra recipients, the country’s highest military decoration.

“The photographs of the soldiers have been put up right next to the wall displaying the photographs of the founders of the nearly century-old university,” JMI vice-chancellor Prof Talat Ahmad said.

The 77-year-old Heptulla succeeded Lt. Gen. M.A. Zaki (Retd) as the chancellor, who completed his five-year term last month.

A resolution to install the national flag at educational institutions was adopted on February 18 2016, at a meeting chaired by the then HRD minister Smriti Irani, with an aim to instil nationalism and pride in the students.

“The national flag signifies a strong India and inspires patriotism, unity and integrity,” stated the release.

The “Wall of Heroes” was an initiative under the “Vidya Veerta Abhiyan” campaign of the HRD Ministry, it added.

JNU was the first varsity to unveil the “Wall of Heroes” on its campus following which DU too unveiled the same this month.