It could have been just any other cold, grey and wet quintessential British Sunday, 4 November. However, it wasn’t. Nothing was going to dampen the spirits of over a thousand Sikhs from various parts of the UK who had converged on Sandwell in Birmingham to witness a historic event.
As the sounds of Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal (the Sikh jaikara) reverberated in the air, the orange veil over the 10-foot high bronze statue of a First World War Sikh soldier was brought down to reveal an imposing sculpture, aptly titled the ‘Lions of the Great War’. The statue stands on a six-foot tall stone plinth with inscription that it is testimony to the sacrifices made by South Asian service personnel of all faiths from the Indian subcontinent who fought for Britain in the two world wars and subsequent conflicts.
In the build-up to the unveiling, local people and the Sikh congregation patiently lined up on both sides of the Smethwick High Street behind the security barriers, and enjoyed a brief yet impressive parade led by an English brass band in blood-red uniforms. They were followed by young Sikh gatka players in traditional attire, Scottish bagpipers in their traditional kilt and veterans from the Royal Army, Navy and Air Force.
As the parade reached the statue site, one-minute silence was observed to honour the memory of slain soldiers.
As singing of Deh Shiva Bar Mohe Ehai Shubh Karman Te Kabhun Na Taron (a Sikh anthem) filled the air, the pride in the martial history of the Sikhs was overwhelmingly palpable.
The Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick has provided all funds needed for this historic project. Addressing the gathering, the gurdwara President Jatinder Singh said:
“Britain is my beloved country, as a fourth generation Sikh I’m very proud of the sacrifices my forefathers made. I am honoured to witness and be part of the history being created.”
“We should never forget sacrifices made for our freedom that we take for granted. We are all the better because we work together,” said Steve Eling, leader of the Sandwell Council that has provided the public space for the monument.
Angela Lewis, Head of Programmes at Fields in Trust said, the trust would protect and look after the site for the generations to come.
First Sikh woman MP Preet Kaur Gill, also the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs, said it was a real honour and privilege to be at the unveiling of the statue.
“As an ex-councillor of Sandwell, I was approached to take this project forward. Statues like this will remind us of our shared history. Efforts are on to now to bring to fruition a similar monument in London as well.”Preet Kaur Gill, MP
Local MP John Speller, who greeted the gathering with ‘Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh’ said, “It is a proud day for the Sikh community across Midlands, the country and around the world. It is a fitting memorial and the government should take it further to set up a national memorial for Sikh soldiers.”
He said it was also a day to reflect upon the costs and affects of wars as “we protect our borders”.
When sculptor Luke Perry – who was invited to the podium as an ‘honorary Sikh’ – he was greeted with Sikh jaikaras.
“The contributions of the Sikhs and other soldiers had not been recognised for a long time because of some kind of shame over Imperial history. However, the country is now reconciling with our past.”Luke Perry, Sculptor
As the nursery children from the school run by the gurdwara came to leave flowers and garlands around the monument, one could see many a welled-up eye with the same pride as reflected in the statue of the turbaned soldier, who with his flowing beard and a gun in his hand, stands tall and proud on a foreign soil, making it his own.
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