Sikhs made up only 2% of the population of British India but
formed 20% of the British Indian Army during the First World War,
and hundreds of thousands of Sikh soldiers engaged in active
service during the two major wars and many other conflicts.
More than 83,000 turbaned Sikh soldiers laid down their lives and
more than 100,000 were injured during the World Wars.
Today, the London
Assembly unanimously agreed a motion calling
on the Mayor to work with the National Sikh War Memorial
Trust to find a Central London site dedicated to a memorial
for Sikhs soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service
of Great Britain.
Dr Onkar Sahota AM, who proposed the motion
said:
“We must recognise the extraordinary sacrifices made by Sikh
soldiers during both World Wars in service of our nation: more
than 80,000 Sikh soldiers gave their lives and over 100,000 were
injured during the conflicts.
“This is why I am calling upon the Mayor to stick to his
recent commitment to work alongside the National Sikh War
Memorial Trust to find a suitable Central London site to erect a
permanent monument dedicated to the inconceivably brave Sikh
soldiers who laid down their lives to protect the freedom of our
country.”
The full text of the motion is:
The London Assembly recognises the extraordinary bravery and
sacrifices of Sikh and other soldiers in service of Great
Britain, including during both World Wars, and supports the
erection of a permanent national monument in a prime central
London location to commemorate and highlight these contributions.
It further notes that for more than a decade there has been a
demand from various interest groups for the installation of such
a national monument. There is widespread cross-party support for
the Early Day Motion in Parliament calling for such a memorial.
We welcome and note the recent statement by the Mayor of London
whilst on a visit to India that it is only right that these brave
Sikh soldiers should have a permanent memorial in London. The
Mayor and all the Leaders of the UK Political Parties in the
House of Commons pledged their support for this initiative at the
launch of the National Sikh War Memorial Trust on 30 January 2018
in Parliament presided by the Speaker of the House of Commons.
The Sikhs made up only 2% of the population of British India but
formed 20% of the British Indian Army during the First World War,
and hundreds of thousands of Sikh soldiers engaged in active
service during the two major wars and many other conflicts. More
than 83,000 turbaned Sikh soldiers laid down their lives and more
than 100,000 were injured during the World Wars.
This Assembly calls upon the Mayor, before the end of this
Mayoralty, to work with the National Sikh War Memorial Trust to
find a Central London site befitting a permanent national
monument dedicated to the Sikhs who made, or were willing to
make, the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom of our
country.
Notes to editors:
-
Watch the full
webcast.
-
Watch Dr Onkar Sahota AM
explain why he proposed the motion
- The motion was agreed unanimously.
