Sikhs in the World War: Sikh body demands monument in London

[cobra commando]

AMRITSAR: While asking for proper recognition of contribution of Sikhs in the world war, the UK based Sikh organization Sikh Federation (SF) has demanded erecting a monument in central London . The Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK) Bhai Amrik Singh told TOI on Wednesday 'We have made clear to the UK government that there needs to be a permanent monument in central London in the next four years to recognise the Sikh contribution and show turban-wearing Sikhs were the 'lions of the great war'. The conflict between 1914 and 1918 - which became known as the Great War - left 17 million soldiers and civilians dead. He informed that when Britain declared war on Germany on August 4, 1914, it had only about 150,000 combat-ready troops. It could commit only a little over 80,000 troops to the Western Front in the initial days of the war. The only professional standing army that Britain could bank upon in that crisis was the Indian army with its many turban wearing Sikh soldiers. These troops became the first fighting non-white colonial soldiers in Europe ever, he said He said the British Council survey showed 78% of respondents in France believed India stayed neutral in the conflict and did not send any troops. In reality, over 140,000 Indian soldiers, including tens of thousands of turban wearing Sikh soldiers fought to defend French soil and many died while doing so.


Read more here:
Sikhs in the World War: Sikh body demands monument in London - The Times of India

 

[Neo]

Sikhs played a great role in WW amongs others in British Indian Army.and therefor they should be given some recognition. They should get an own memorial.

 

[HMS Astute]

outside of india, london already has the the world's biggest hindu temple!

 

[Blackwater]

outside of india, london already has the the world's biggest hindu temple!

where in london???

 

[HMS Astute]

where in london???

105-119 Brentfield Road, Neasden, London NW10 8LD.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Blackwater]

105-119 Brentfield Road, Neasden, London NW10 8LD.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

it is close to brent park shopping centre. do u also live in london?

 

[Blackwater]

Do they offer free food or langer ??

Do they allow people of low caste or other religion to enter????

 

[cobra commando]

:ranger: Btw, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta is the sixth BAPS traditional Hindu stone temple built outside of India. It is also the largest Hindu temple of its kind outside of India: BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[HMS Astute]

Do they offer free food or langer ??

Do they allow people of low caste or other religion to enter????

yes sure. anyone can visit there for free. the interior is absolutely fascinating and you will see a lot of amazing sculptures, colourful religious paintings, traditional ceilings, portraits and and many other stuffs. not sure about free food, but they have a really nice canteen/cafe.

 

[Blackwater]

yes sure. anyone can visit there for free. the interior is absolutely fascinating and you will see a lot of amazing sculptures, colourful religious paintings, traditional ceilings, portraits and and many other stuffs. not sure about free food, but they have a really nice canteen/cafe.

R u sure Dalit or low caste also allowed inside? Y there is no free meal or langer

 

[Virendra]

I would prefer a war museum and/or monuments etc in India. We can cover all our heroes there.
Asking others like this for respect/recognition is an insult itself, to the honour of all those who have fallen on battlefield.
Suggests that we still have a colonial hangover in looking up to British.
Wouldn't mind if British had made the first move in this case. That is what would've raised the stature of those soldiers and their deeds.

 

[Ray]

A War Memorial should be for Indian soldiers and not only for one class since the Defence Forces are the most secular of all organisation of India.

The Defence Forces Unites and not Divides.

Of late, starting from Mulayam Singh's days as Defence Minister, politics has crept in.

***********************

The names of some 70,000 Indian soldiers who died in World War I, in "France and Flanders, Mesopotamia, and Persia, East Africa, Gallipoli and elsewhere in the near and the far-east", between 1914–19, are inscribed on the memorial arch.

In addition, the war memorial bears the names of some 12,516 Indian soldiers who died while serving in "India or the North-west Frontier and during the Third Afghan War".

In 1971, following the Bangladesh Liberation war, a small simple structure, consisting of a black marble plinth, with reversed rifle, capped by war helmet, bounded by four eternal flames, was built beneath the soaring Memorial Archway. This structure, called Amar Jawan Jyoti, or the Flame of the Immortal Soldier, has since 1971 served as India's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The cornice is inscribed with the Imperial suns while both sides of the arch have INDIA, flanked by the dates MCMXIV (1914 left) and MCMXIX (1919 right). Below the word INDIA, is inscribed, in capital letters:
TO THE DEAD OF THE INDIAN ARMIES WHO FELL HONOURED IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS MESOPOTAMIA AND PERSIA EAST AFRICA GALLIPOLI AND ELSEWHERE IN THE NEAR AND THE FAR-EAST AND IN SACRED MEMORY ALSO OF THOSE WHOSE NAMES ARE RECORDED AND WHO FELL IN INDIA OR THE NORTH-WEST FRONTIER AND DURING THE THIRD AFGHAN WAR.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_Gate