Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going on a two-day visit to Poland on August 21. This is the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Poland in more than four decades. 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.
Even today, the contribution of the Indian Maharaja is remembered and tribute is paid to him in Poland. During his Poland visit, PM Modi will also visit the Jam Saheb of Nawanagar Memorial. The ruler of Nawanagar, Maharaja Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja rescued 1,000 Polish children in 1941 during the Second World War. A second camp for these children was set up by Bhosale Chhatrapati in Kolhapur.
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 Delhi under Maharaja Jam Saheb Digvijay of Nawanagar (now Jamnagar, Gujarat).
Every basic facility is ensured in the camp
To deal with this humanitarian crisis, Maharaja Digvijay Singhji 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 people a sense of normalcy amidst the 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’.
A school has also been dedicated to him. He was posthumously awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. The Maharaja was a graduate of University College, London. He was also a Second Lieutenant in the British Army for two decades.
Camp was also set up in Kolhapur
On the other hand, a camp was also set up in Kolhapur under the leadership of Chhatrapati Bhosale which gave shelter to a large number of refugees. This camp gave shelter to more than 5,000 Polish refugees, including women and children, who were left helpless by the war. Many refugees were deported to Siberia and other parts of the Soviet Union, where they had to face harsh weather and forced labor.
The camp in Kolhapur provided food, shelter and medical care to the refugees as well as educational and recreational facilities. The camp was functional until the early 1950s, when many of the refugees moved to other countries, including the US, Canada and Australia.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)