India
Statue in UK to Honor Indian Soldiers of WWI Vandalized
Picture Courtesy: Facebook@LionsoftheGreatWar
‘Lions of the Great War’ was unveiled in Smethwick of West Midlands on Nov.4 in front of a large crowd.
The first statue in the UK to honor over 1.5 million Indian soldiers of first world war has been vandalized within a week of its unveiling.
Vandals drew a black line across the plaque at the site, which had read ‘Lions of the Great War.’ They also wrote the phrase ‘Sepoys no more’ in its place, reported the Indian Express.
A new public space was created for the statue by the Sandwell Council while Guru Nanak Gurudwara Smethwick funded its construction.
Expressing his disappointment over the vandalism, Jatinder Singh, President of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick wrote on Facebook, “There was some vandalism to the back wall overnight which is very disappointing. The graffiti was cleaned off and the matter was reported to the police.”
He further said, “Working with the council we won’t allow this vandalism to undermine the very strong message created by this new monument and the overwhelmingly positive reaction to its unveiling.”
“What makes this incident particularly distressing, is the complete disregard and lack of respect for the significance of the statue and inscriptions, installed recently to commemorate the losses felt by many South Asian families who lost their dear ones during the First World War and mark 100 years since the end of the Great War,” he added.
He also appealed the people that if anyone witnesses vandalism or other anti-social behavior, they should report such incidents to the police as soon as possible. He added that CCTV footage is being reviewed to take necessary action.
The 10-feet high bronze statue of a First World War Sikh soldier is to commemorate 100 years since the end of the first world war in 1918. The statue is sculptured by internationally renowned Black Country artist Luke Perry, who is also the idea behind the sculpture.
In its earlier Facebook post, Guru Nanak Gurudwara Smethwick had said, “The Lions of the Great War statue, which stands on a six-foot granite plinth, is the first full statue of a South Asian First World War soldier in the UK.”