Indian soldiers who died to free Haifa remembered in Israel

[parijataka]

Indian soldiers lauded in Israeli textbooks for freeing city

Haifa, Israel: While remaining largely unknown in their own country, some Indian soldiers will now become household names in Haifa in northern Israel after figuring in the history textbooks taught at schools for their contribution in liberating this city in 1918.

The municipality of Haifa has gone ahead with its decision to immortalise the sacrifices made by Indian soldiers, many of whom are buried in the cemetery here, by including the stories of their valiant efforts in liberating the coastal city during the First World War in the school curricula as part of the history textbooks.

"The move is a part of Haifa municipalities efforts to preserve the city's history and heritage," Hedva Almog, deputy Mayor of Haifa told people gathered to pay respects to Indian soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the war to liberate the city.

Haifa Historical Society has done an extensive research on the role of the Indian army in the region.

As per their findings, a large number of Indian soldiers sacrificed their lives in this region during the First World War and nearly 900 are cremated or buried in cemeteries across Israel.

Almog said that the municipality is planning big centenary celebrations to commemorate the event in 2018, calling upon India to join hands in making it a success.

Charge de Affaires at the Indian mission in Tel Aviv, Vani Rao, reacted positively to the request extending support in organising the Centenary celebrations.

The Indian army commemorates September 23rd every year as Haifa Day, to pay its respects to the two brave Indian Cavalry Regiments that helped liberate the city in 1918 following a dashing cavalry action by the 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade.

Residents of the Israeli city also celebrate Haifa Day the same day with a series of cultural programmes during the week.

 

[Blackwater]

Well that''s a good and proud news.:thumb::thumb:


Thanks to Israel for recognising and thanks to GOI to forget the brave

 

[marshal panda]

Indian soldiers lauded in Israeli textbooks for freeing city

= The citations for Param Vir Chakra winners should also be a part of our school curriculum.

 

[Ankit Purohit]

Proud of Indian Army

Thank You Israel

 

[cobra commando]

Indian soldiers whupped! those 'Turds' Asses allover the place, Totally Awesome!

 

[ashdoc]

the maratha light infantry regiment fought in iraq against the turks during world war one . but nobody in iraq will remember them

 

[Tolaha]

Nice to know that foreigners remember our dead. Few in India think about them and even among those who think, some of them refuse to honour their bravery as they fought under the colonizer! End of the day, our brave never get what they deserve.

We still have our British built war memorials. Thank goodness... they ate up Indians for breakfast and dinner, but they atleast built war memorials to those who served them their bravery and life.

 

[roma]

we are very honoured and humbled to have Israel unilaterally and without any prompting from anyone , remembering our contribution - in contrast, the NATO on poppy day when they remember their war dead , my question is do they give sufficient place to our jawans who died in WW2 ?

 

[trackwhack]

we are very honoured and humbled to have Israel unilaterally and without any prompting from anyone , remembering our contribution - in contrast, the NATO on poppy day when they remember their war dead , my question is do they give sufficient place to our jawans who died in WW2 ?

They all fought for the British. How do they become our jawans?

Our jawans were the few who fought these monkeys in British uniform. Its outright disrespectful that today we sit and sing praises of Indian soldiers in British uniform as some kind of heroes. There is a thread every third day. Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad are probably turning in their graves.

Here, remember. The ones that put the noose around their heads were also Indian soldiers

 

[Tolaha]

You are referring to a time when our leaders didn't have the concept of India as a Nation. You are talking about times when being a soldier was just a profession.


P.S: BTW trackwhack, you are one of those I was referring to in post #7, just in case you haven't noticed!

 

[trackwhack]

You are referring to a time when our leaders didn't have the concept of India as a Nation. You are talking about times when being a soldier was just a profession.


P.S: BTW trackwhack, you are one of those I was referring to in post #7, just in case you haven't noticed!

The first revolt against the British was in 1857. From that day on no Indian should have served for the British. Dont dismiss it as just a job. Their job was to butcher Indians who resisted the British.

These men were the weakest and most selfish Indians that lived during those times. For fear of their own survival, they stooped to a level where they killed their own people at their enemies behest.

I dont know what I would have done if I were in their place but I'd like to think that I'd have enough courage to take out a couple of white trash before being shot myself.

 

[civfanatic]

You are referring to a time when our leaders didn't have the concept of India as a Nation. You are talking about times when being a soldier was just a profession.

At around the same time that these soldiers died for the British in Mesopotamia and Western Europe, revolutionary organizations like the Anushilan Samiti and Hindustan Socialist Republican Army were actively opposing British rule. These organizations, and others, already had a clear concept of "India" as a nation and also viewed those Indians who cooperated with the British as "traitors". Indian nationalism was still quite young, and it didn't become a mass movement until Gandhi turned it into one, but the ideology was definitely there even in the early 1900s.

Many of the Indian soldiers who fought under British did so under some sort of financial or social compulsion. They needed a stable livelihood for themselves and their families and the British Raj was able to provide them one. I do not condemn these soldiers unduly, but I feel a great sadness that their valour and efforts were wasted fighting the white man's wars, in which the Indian soldiers had no stake or interest whatsoever.

 

[parijataka]

I think Congress allowed Indian soldiers to take part in the War effort based on British assurances of Independence soon after. After WW I, British made several Commissions, Round Table Conferences and other ploys to delay the inevitable. Regardless, these were Indians who died fighting some one else's war, most would hv been poor villagers. So whatever, RIP brave Indian men.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Many of the Indian soldiers who fought under British did so under some sort of financial or social compulsion.

Some thought they were obligated because they "ate the King's salt."

Loyal India: Part 2 of 3 by Elizabeth Weigler :: www.SikhFoundation.org

Somewhat less intrinsic, but making equal contributions to this logic was the component of loyalty to the Emperor and Government. In some regards the men simply saw it as their job. A common sentiment has to do with "earning their salt", or pay as soldiers. One man remarked,

It is fitting for anyone who has eaten the salt of the great Government to die. So it is necessary and proper for you to be loyal to the Government for that is the reason why it employs you.

Similarly, anothersoldier encourages his friend by telling him, "we and you have eaten of the salt of the Sirkar, and it is for us to show loyalty in return." It is not clear whether or not any one of these sentiments would have been as prominent had not the others fed into it. What is clear, however, is that there was a strong sense of loyalty to the Government and need to uphold caste and familial honor.

Tied into the logic of loyalty to the Government was an intense loyalty and appreciation for King George V. Many letters refer directly to the Emperor as the man for whom they are fighting and his role as the means by which entire nations are contented. As mentioned earlier, the soldiers looked to the Emperor as a validation of their endeavors and the patron of their livelihood. He became the tangible embodiment of a being to which they could channel all their Government loyalty; a symbol of the pride and sense of accomplishment they felt when a battle was won, and the conceptualized benefactor of everything they gleaned from military service. A good example of this can be found in a letter from a group of wounded Indian soldiers in a Barton hospital on May 1915. The address on the letter states, "Let no one except the King open this". The contents list all their grievances and they mentions several times "your Majesty's order". All power to help them rests in the hands of the "Emperor of India" in their minds. Most of the letters in question make reference to the King and the British Government interchangeably. A letter written by a soldier to his home explains,

The family of Gulab Shah have received a letter from His Majesty himself, sent by the Viceroy, expressing the King's regret at the death of Gulab Shah. Just look at the kindness of our Government which joins in the mourning for an ordinary sowar.

Here, the King is representative of "the kindness of our Government" as well as the Government itself.

 

[roma]

They all fought for the British. How do they become our jawans?

Our jawans were the few who fought these monkeys in British uniform. Its outright disrespectful that today we sit and sing praises of Indian soldiers in B]

i agree with one of the poster above who correctly stated that our leadership at that time hadnt yet formed a country out of india

you INCORRECTLY stated that they fought in british uniform - that is not true and is a grave error

but really what is the alternative Sir ?

would you prefer that the jawans who gave their lives in british-india uniform ( not british uniform tsk tsk ) be forgotten ?

would you prefer that they died in vain ?

that their sacrifice be valued as nothing ?

you call them monkeys , do you ?
these were ordinary foot-soldiers who may not have known all the political brainstorming we are doing with hindsight and you prefer to deny them and their families the dignity of their sacrifice because they were "politically incorrect" ?

sorry, - im not into the politicization of their sacrifice ..... im into treating it as a valuable human sacrifice , every single one of them including those you mentioned bhagat .singh and many others , too many to mention here - they ALL , yes every single one of them - they rightly deserve the dignity and honour of their sacrifice .

 

[aeroblogger]

The municipality of Haifa has gone ahead with its decision to immortalise the sacrifices made by Indian soldiers, many of whom are buried in the cemetery here, by including the stories of their valiant efforts in liberating the coastal city during the First World War in the school curricula as part of the history textbooks.

Huh.. That means that the soldiers were probably Muslim - quite ironic I must say!

 

[trackwhack]

i agree with one of the poster above who correctly stated that our leadership at that time hadnt yet formed a country out of india

you INCORRECTLY stated that they fought in british uniform - that is not true and is a grave error

but really what is the alternative Sir ?

would you prefer that the jawans who gave their lives in british-india uniform ( not british uniform tsk tsk ) be forgotten ?

would you prefer that they died in vain ?

that their sacrifice be valued as nothing ?

you call them monkeys , do you ?
these were ordinary foot-soldiers who may not have known all the political brainstorming we are doing with hindsight and you prefer to deny them and their families the dignity of their sacrifice because they were "politically incorrect" ?

sorry, - im not into the politicization of their sacrifice ..... im into treating it as a valuable human sacrifice , every single one of them including those you mentioned bhagat .singh and many others , too many to mention here - they ALL , yes every single one of them - they rightly deserve the dignity and honour of their sacrifice .

I dont expect anyone to get this, so ok.

 

[roma]

I dont expect anyone to get this, so ok.

Sir - i believe you realise nothing personal there ..., it was just my "2 cents worth" ... thanks

 

[roma]

Huh.. That means that the soldiers were probably Muslim - quite ironic I must say!

well there we are , that's why i suggested ( it was only a suggestion - perhaps a bit strongly worded - i hope not though ) that we cant blame our men for the battles they were asked , forced ? to fight - they were just trying to feed their families, in a cruel world ( more so in those days )

cant say the same for those who were employed in india to shoot their own people - that would be different - that part i might agree more with member "trackwhack"

but this thread is not about that

 

[balai_c]

They all fought for the British. How do they become our jawans?

Our jawans were the few who fought these monkeys in British uniform. Its outright disrespectful that today we sit and sing praises of Indian soldiers in British uniform as some kind of heroes. There is a thread every third day. Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad are probably turning in their graves.

Here, remember. The ones that put the noose around their heads were also Indian soldiers

Not to mention the Jalliawalabagh killings!

An hour after the meeting began as scheduled at 4:30 pm, Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer came along with a group of sixty-five Gurkha and twenty-five Baluchi soldiers into the Bagh. Fifty of them were armed with rifles

Source: wikipedia