Kamal Ghorui
A video showing two Indians dancing while filming a social media reel at the World War II Memorial in Washington DC has stirred a row with netizens saying such behaviour is inappropriate at a site dedicated to wartime sacrifice.The short clip, which is now viral, shows the pair dancing at the memorial plaza. The video gained millions of views with several users arguing that a war memorial is a place of respect rather than entertainment content.The location of the video only added to the controversy. The National World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC was opened in 2004 to honour the 16 million Americans who served in the US armed forces during World War II. It also commemorates the more than 400,000 Americans who lost their lives during the conflict and recognises the contribution made by civilians on the home front.The memorial is located between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. It has 56 granite columns arranged around a large open plaza with a fountain. These columns represent the US states and territories during the war. Two large arches at the site stand for victory in the Atlantic and Pacific regions.Visitors typically come to the memorial to learn about the history of the war and to pay tribute to those who served. Many walk through the plaza, read the inscriptions and plaques, and spend time reflecting on the events commemorated there.Some social media users also claimed that the individuals in the video were working in the United States on H-1B visas and suggested they should be sent back. However, there has been no confirmation about their identities or visa status.One social media user said: “Indian couple working in the United States on H-1B visas went to the World War II Memorial in Washington DC and danced there amid the ongoing war between Iran and the United States.”Another said: “This is extremely disrespectful to all Americans and their families who served in the armed forces and as civilians during World War II.”A third user commented: “H1B visas laugh at Americans for allowing ourselves to be discriminated against in our own country.”Foruth user said: “I’ve seen this total lack of respect for our heritage and history several times from these people. The only answer is to remove them from the soil we so dearly paid for. Send them back to wherever they came from.”
