Boris Johnson paid special tribute to the British Indian Army.
London:
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid special tribute to the British Indian Army, the largest force of volunteers in history, which came together to fight on the frontiers of World War II, for their immense contribution to victory Allied forces against Nazi Germany.
In a message for the Remember Together campaign, set up to honor the millions of Commonwealth soldiers who joined the war effort as part of the then British Empire, Johnson said it was important to ” remember their sacrifice and celebrate their success “.
“In every theater of World War II, volunteers from India, Africa and the Caribbean made an immense contribution to victory,” Johnson said, in a statement coinciding with the annual Armistice Day commemoration this week for the martyrs of war.
“The British Indian Army mobilized 2.5 million people and became the largest volunteer force in history,” Johnson said.
“When Britain embarked on the liberation of South East Asia, bringing together nearly a million troops in the 14th Army, the vast majority of the soldiers in this magnificent unit came from India and from Africa. Volunteers from as far away as Sierra Leone and Nigeria have helped liberate Myanmar from Japanese occupation, ”noted the British Prime Minister.
“All of these brave people have chosen to fight for freedom under the British flag. Their service has helped defeat a terrible evil and has enabled millions of people to live in peace and prosperity,” he said. declared.
The Remember Together Campaign, a joint initiative of the Royal British Legion and British Future as part of the Together Coalition, campaigned to redouble efforts to commemorate, teach and document the service of soldiers from Commonwealth countries during the Second World War.
The Remember Together initiative seeks to address this imbalance, ensuring that the service and sacrifice of all who fought is remembered and helping to ensure that the remembrance is relevant and inclusive for people of all faiths. and colors in Britain today, “the campaign said in a statement.
Opposition Labor Party leader Sir Keir Starmer also praised the courage of Indian troops ahead of Armistice Day, which is commemorated annually on November 11, the date of 1918 which marked the end of World War I. global.
“We will never forget the bravery of the 1.5 million Indian soldiers who fought in the British Army in the trenches of World War I, or of the allies with whom we stood side by side in the face of fascism during the Second World War. When we remember, we remember those of all faiths and all colors who gave them today so that we can all have tomorrow, ”he said.
“While the memory of this year may seem different, Britain will always honor all who fought for our country in every village, town and town. But, through the efforts of Remember Together, we will also remember that we never stood alone, ”he says.
As part of this year’s transformed commemorations, the UK-based Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is also calling on Indians to join a virtual global ceremony of remembrance to honor soldiers killed in World Wars by naming a star in remembrance of someone and looking into the night sky at 7 p.m. on November 11 to remember the Indian military.
Through a virtual experience on the CWGC website, using the Commission’s extensive archives and existing search function, the global public will be able to name stars after one of the Commonwealth’s 1.7 million war dead in the custody of the CWGC.
