Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Poland on Wednesday on a two-day visit. The PM was given a warm welcome here. He paid tribute to the memorial plaque of the Valivade-Kolhapur camp near the Monte Cassino War Memorial, which was inaugurated in November 2017. The history of relations between Poland and India is very interesting which is linked to the Second World War. During the Second World War, the Maharaja of Jamnagar and the Chhatrapati of Kolhapur gave shelter to thousands of refugees from Poland.
The Jam Saheb of Nawanagar Memorial in Warsaw, Poland is a reminder of the shared history between India and Poland. The memorial is dedicated to Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji, the former Maharaja of Nawanagar (now Jamnagar). In 1942, the Maharaja established the Polish Children’s Camp in Jamnagar for refugee Polish children who were brought out of the USSR during World War II. Earlier, the Prime Minister was welcomed by members of the Indian diaspora in Poland. This is the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Poland in the last 45 years.
PM Modi wrote on X, ‘Paid tribute at the Kolhapur Memorial in Warsaw. This memorial is a tribute to the great royal family of Kolhapur. This royal family was at the forefront of providing shelter to Polish women and children displaced due to the horrors of World War II. Inspired by the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the great royal family of Kolhapur placed humanity above everything else and ensured a life of dignity for Polish women and children. This act of compassion will continue to inspire generations.’
India gives shelter to Polish refugees
During World War II, in 1939, Poland was invaded and partitioned by the Soviet Union and Germany. As a result, the Polish government led by General Sikorski went into exile in London. A large number of children, women, orphans and disabled people were deported to the Soviet Union, where they faced extremely difficult conditions.
General Sikorski approached British Prime Minister Winston Churchill seeking asylum for the Polish people. Churchill then looked to India which was under British rule at the time. Soon, it was decided to set up a refugee camp in the kingdom of Maharaja Jam Saheb Digvijay of Nawanagar (now Jamnagar, Gujarat) in Delhi.
Every basic facility is ensured in the camp
To deal with this humanitarian crisis, Maharaja Digvijay Singh gave shelter to these children in his kingdom of Nawanagar. He built hostels and ensured basic facilities like food, clothing, medical care and education for the refugees. He made special arrangements for the education of the children. He arranged for Polish teachers who taught the refugee children. These efforts of his gave a sense of normalcy to the people struggling with unrest.
There is a ‘Square of the Good Maharaja’ in Poland
He also arranged for theatre groups, art studios and cultural activities. Jam Saheb is still remembered in Poland for providing shelter to Polish orphans in Balachadi. Poland has honoured Maharaja Digvijaysinhji by naming a square in the capital Warsaw after him, which is known as the ‘Square of the Good Maharaja’.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)