LONDON – The Theresa May government on Tuesday approved building a memorialin London to honour the sacrifices and contribution of Sikh servicemen whofought in the two world wars for Britain and its allies.
The decision meets a major demand of the Sikh community. The announcementof erecting the Sikh war memorial was made by Communities secretary SajidJavid. A suitable site will now be selected by a working group following acampaign by the first Sikh MP in British parliamentary history, TanmanjeetSingh Dhesi (Labour).
“The part played by Sikh servicemen really stands out – a contributionthat’s all the more remarkable when you consider that these brave mentravelled thousands of miles to fight for a country that wasn’t their own,”said Javid.
Once the site is identified and a memorial agreed upon, the government saidit will provide funding towards the project.
Javid added: “We are indebted to all those servicemen who volunteered toserve and fought to defend the freedoms we enjoy today. That’s why a Sikhwar memorial in our nation’s capital will honour their sacrifice and ensurethat this part of our shared history is never forgotten. So I am delightedto get behind this campaign and ensure its success.”
An official statement highlighted the “extraordinary acts of bravery andsacrifice” of Sikh servicemen in the British armed forces, when hundreds ofthousands of them saw active service during the two world wars and insubsequent conflicts.
More than 83,000 turbaned Sikh soldiers gave their lives and more than100,000 were injured during both world wars.
“Despite making up only two per cent of the Indian population when theFirst World War broke out, Sikhs accounted for more than 20 per cent of theIndian Army’s manpower. Sikh soldiers from the Punjab and surroundingstates saw action in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, most notably onthe Western Front and at Gallipoli,” the statement from the ministry ofhousing, communities and local government said.
It added that on the western front Sikhs fought and died alongside theirBritish, Indian and Commonwealth counterparts; their contribution wasessential to the war effort and of the 22 Military Crosses awarded toIndian soldiers, 14 went to Sikhs.