Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Monday justified replacing an iconic painting of Pakistan's surrender in the 1971 war at his office in Raisina Hills with a new artwork titled "Karam Kshetra".
The painting on the 1971 war was removed from the Army chief's lounge in December and it was subsequently installed at the Manekshaw convention centre.
The shifting of the historic painting had anguished many Army veterans and the decision came under some criticism.
"If you see the golden history of India -- it has three chapters. It has the British era, the Mughal era and the era before that. If we wish to connect that and the Army's vision, symbolism becomes important," Gen. Dwivedi said.
The new painting, "Karam Kshetra", meaning "Field of Deeds", is a creation of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Jacob of the 28 Madras regiment.
It portrays the Army as a guardian of "Dharma" that protects the nation's values and reflects its evolution into a technologically-advanced integrated force, accord