First UK Sikh WW1 memorial to open at Staffordshire on Nov 1
Sunday, 11/10/2015
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CHANDIGARH: The UK’s first Sikh memorial to honour soldiers of World War 1 (WW1) will be unveiled on November 1 at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, according to a press release on Sikhatwar.com.
A statue commemorating 1.3 lakh Sikh soldiers who fought in the Great War will be unveiled during the ceremony. Sikhs constituted 20% of the British Indian army and represented in over a third of the regiments during the war. The memorial has been funded through a grassroots campaign by the WW1 Sikh Memorial Fund on a crowd funding website —Kickstarter.
Founder and chairman of the charity Jay Singh-Sohal said: “It is a tremendous achievement for the Sikhs to be able to have a national monument in honour of our brave forebears. For far too long, the contribution of those from India to the war has been overlooked, but now this memorial will be a symbol of remembrance that will inspire people from all backgrounds.”
Patron of the memorial Peter Singh Virdee of the Virdee Foundation sees the monument as a symbol that will inspire future generations. “The sacrifice of Sikhs who have served Great Britain will never be forgotten. Now that this community initiative has led to the creation of a permanent national memorial at the centre of remembrance in our country, it will inspire future generations to follow in the footsteps of their forebears,” he said.
The event will include speeches by dignitaries, a British army band and re-enactment troop. The memorial will be sanctified with a traditional Sikh prayer and a minute silence to remember all who fought for the Great Britain. On this occasion, a souvenir titled “Sikh Chronicles” will also be released that includes a tribute by the armed forces minister Penny Mordaunt.
Imperial War Museum chairman Sir Francis Richards said: “The memorial will be a fitting tribute to the sacrifice made by the Sikh servicemen during the war.”
