(Glasgow)
(Lab):...Four million Muslims,
Sikhs, Hindus and people of other faiths from South Asia alone
fought in the two world wars. In defence of this country, 74,000
members of the British Indian Army lost their lives in world war one,
and more than 87,000 in world war two. That is why, working in
partnership with Colourful Heritage and others, we are trying to
establish the first ever memorial here in Scotland to the
British Indian Army soldiers and the contribution that
they made. From my discussions with the Minister for Parliamentary
Business and Veterans, I know that that is supported in principle
by both him and the Scottish Government. I hope that we can make
that a reality, if not this year, then next year.
One thing that we have already done is
hold the first ever memorial service for British Indian Army soldiers at the war graves in
Kingussie. The first service took place in 2018 and, last year,
the service was attended by the minister for veterans, which I
know was greatly appreciated by not only people who have heritage
and history with the armed forces, but our wider communities in
Scotland.
I will share one story that answers
the call from the far right. Those war graves have only recently
been discovered in Kingussie, and only recently had a multifaith
and multi-ethnicity memorial service that brought together
charities, the British armed forces, the Scottish Government and
other representatives. However, I want to thank one woman in
particular—Isobel Harling. She is a Kingussie local who is 95
years old and whose brother served in the Royal Air Force. For
more than 60 years, she has personally been tending to and
looking after those graves, showing the fantastic recognition
that people of all faiths and none have for the role that was
played by all those people in defence of this country in world
wars one and two.
In the coming months, working with
Colourful Heritage—which wants to capture, celebrate and inspire
future generations—the British armed forces, the Scottish
Government, and the minister directly, I hope that we can build
that lasting memorial to the British Indian Army here in Scotland...
The Minister for Parliamentary
Business and Veterans ():...The other point that I wish to
make is the extent to which the commission really does represent
the Commonwealth and the strong bonds that exist between Scotland
and fellow Commonwealth members. Its membership includes Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India, countries to which Scotland retains
firm ties. During ANZAC day last year, my ministerial colleague
Ben Macpherson spoke at a service to remember two young New
Zealand pilots whose plane crashed during the second world war
while training not far from Edinburgh. Further, I was honoured
last October to be invited to speak at a commemoration service in
Kingussie, to which referred, that honoured the men
of Force K6 of the British Indian Army, several of whom are buried there.
At the outbreak of the second world war, those young men found
themselves leaving their homeland to travel first to France,
before coming to the Highlands following their evacuation from
Dunkirk.
The young man at whose grave in
Kingussie I laid a wreath was just 18 when he left India. One can only imagine the impact that
those experiences must have had on him. Headstones now mark the
final resting place of 13 members of Force K6 across the north of
Scotland. Despite those sad circumstances in which the bonds
between Scotland and India were formed, it is welcome to see
that the links between our two countries still endure. For
example, the Scottish Government has provided support to
establish the Social Enterprise Academy in India to
provide support for Indian social enterprises; and 16 of our 19
higher education institutions have research links
with India, including in areas of national
importance to India such as smart cities, health and
water treatment.
I hope that those links will continue
to grow and strengthen as the years go by, because I was touched
by the turnout at Kingussie. There were so many different
denominations of Indian heritage, all there, as I was, to
honour the sacrifice that was made by soldiers from the
subcontinent. In so doing, they provided a sharp reminder to
those who seek to sow the seeds of division of the inclusive and
multicultural Scotland that we are and must continue to be. I
could not agree more with on that, and I share his desire
for the realisation in the not-too-distant future of Colourful
Heritage’s wonderful campaign to create a lasting memorial to the
sacrifices of the Indian Army. In order to learn more about the
organisation’s work, I have committed to meeting representatives
of Colourful Heritage in Glasgow...
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