On Sunday 1st November 2015, the UK’s first national memorial commemorating the service and sacrifice of Sikh soldiers who fought during World War One will be unveiled at the National War Arboretum, Staffordshire.
The
memorial has been created entirely through community support
via Kickstarter and as a board member I am proud that so
many people have contributed to such an historic event.
It is an important event, as the memorial will serve to immortalise the values and virtues of the Sikh way of life which were enshrined so deeply in the men that served a century ago. Furthermore, it will serve to remind the Sikhs of today, and of generations to come, that courage, strength and determination, when combined with compassion and love, can serve as a potent elixir to conquer the toughest of life’s challenges.
I was lucky enough to be involved with ‘Indians in the Trenches’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE4wQ52znrA) a production which brought letters written by Sikh soldiers on the front lines to a wider audience. It highlighted something very important to me – that these were ordinary men from villages back in Punjab, much like the elders of the wider Sikh diaspora of today. They were people just like us. Yet here they found themselves in the utter hell of war. What made them stand out was that despite operating in extremely punishing conditions, they maintained their adherence to the Warrior’s Way – the Khalsa Way. Surrounded by death and hardship, they did not falter from their task, were ready to die, and carried out such heroic feats on the battlefield that they are still honoured today.
From stories recalled by my
grandparents, to gurdwara speeches, and more recently from
Sikh media, I have been hearing about the deeds of our ancestors from
a young age. They didn’t care about being remembered or
honoured. They just did their duty and followed the Guru’s
instructions. They were always prepared and their lifestyle and
character made them unbreakable. To me, this is the ‘secret
formula’ shared by so many of our ancestors and what I feel is
conveyed by the memorial being unveiled on 1st November. In
today’s day and age where courage, honour and righteous action are
often sacrificed for popularity and wealth, as can be seen in the
current situation in Panjab as well as the wider world, this memorial
will serve as a powerful inspiration to both young and old. We
may not be engaged in a physical war but the conflict against our
inner evils forever rages and if we are to make an effective
contribution to today’s broken society we must begin to walk the
Way of the Warrior.
We look to complete the fundraising campaign with enough funds to maintain the memorial for as long as the Arboretum exists. So that all those who come across that place, in the countless years to come, may hear the voice of the bearded Subedar, whispering to them from the ageless stone:
“Darkness, Death, and great Evil’s might
Lo! All tremble at the Khalsa’s sight.
Bound by the Code, we saw it through,
And if we can do it, so can you”.
