Lest we forget: 75,000 Indian soldiers who died in World War I finally get due recognition

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, in France on a state visit, inaugurated the Indian War Memorial at Villers Guislain on Saturday.
The foundation stone of the memorial at St Vaast Church in Laventie, France
The foundation stone of the memorial at St Vaast Church in Laventie, France

Almost a century later, some of the 75,000 Indian soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I will finally get their due recognition on Sunday. 

As leaders from over 50 countries, including US President Donald Trump, participate in the centenary activities in Paris for the 100th Armistice Day, which marks the end of the war on November 11, 1918, a somber ceremony in Laventie, some 250 km north of the French capital, will honour these Indian braves with a statue and a memorial.  

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, in France on a state visit, inaugurated the Indian War Memorial at Villers Guislain on Saturday and will attend the ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, presided over by French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday.  

Lt Col Deepak Dahiya (retd), the driving force behind the memorial in France to honour Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives fighting for Allied Powers in the First World War;
| USII

India was under British rule when the First World War was sparked off by the assassination of Austria’s Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. Over a million Indian soldiers took part in the war, deployed in foreign lands which ranged from the cold trenches of Western Europe to Eastern Africa, Mesopotamia and even China, where 500 soldiers from the 36 Sikhs took part in the siege of the German port of Tsingtao.

Some 75,000 Indian soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice while another 70,000 were grievously wounded. Buried in foreign lands, far from home, their graves scattered across the world. Yet, bar the All India War Memorial in New Delhi, now known as India Gate, there are no memorials erected in their memory anywhere. Many believe that part of the reason for this is that these men died fighting for the British instead of against as ruled India at that time was under Britain’s rule.

“Right or wrong, at a subliminal level, perhaps there is some element of embarrassment, if not shame, attached in honouring these men who fought alongside soldiers who were part of the country that occupied their land,” said Col (retd) H Rawat, a military historian.

But that is likely to change. On Sunday, when the world gathers to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, the Interfaith Shaheedi Commemoration Association (IFSC), an NGO registered in France, will inaugurate the first of several miniature statues in 58 cemeteries across France in memory of unsung Indian heroes.

“The first miniature version of the above-proposed statue at 1 Place du 8 Mai, 62840 Laventie, France on November 11 at 11:11:11... will mark the commencement of our project to establish 58 such statues near all the cemeteries where Indian soldiers lie buried in France,” the IFSC said. “The reason to do so was that all cemeteries in France, except the Gorre British and Indian Cemetery, have no mention of India or its soldiers,” it added.

The 125 kg brass statue will have the Indian flag on a marble with Jai Hind inscribed above it and India below it. Laventie mayor Jean-Philippe Boonaert allocated space for the statue adjacent to a 12th century church of St. Vaast. The statue will be inaugurated by Lt General (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, who headed 15 Corps in Kashmir.

The driving force behind the IFSC’s efforts is Lt Col Deepak Dahiya (Retd), the vice-president of the organisation and an army veteran of 23 years. Commissioned into the 16th Light Cavalry, Col Dahiya served in several command, staff and instructional posts.

In September 2016, remains of soldiers of the 39 Royal Garhwal Rifles were found in France. The human remains were buried at the Laventie Military Cemetery on November 11, 2017, the IFSC said.
According to the IFSC, while disposing the mortal remains of these martyrs, not enough attention was paid to the last rites as per Indian cultural and religious beliefs. Over 4,700 Indian soldiers have no known grave but are commemorated at Neuve Chapelle and Ypres, Belgium.

In August 2015, the IFSC established a commemorative plate at the site and organised an event attended by more than 1,300 Indians and over 300 French guests. Religious teachers of all faiths were brought from Paris to collectively offer prayers for the dead soldiers’ souls.

As Col Rawat put it, “This will finally not only honour the brave Indians who died in foreign lands, but also record their contribution and immense sacrifices during the war for posterity. They deserve nothing less.”

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