Thank you, Carlos, for recognizing the Indian heroes
who gave their lives to liberate Europe during WW-II.
I believe the reason that recognition in India has
been muted due to the assumed Gandhian philosophy of
non-violence at any cost.
--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?slug=Indian+war+veterans+revered+in+Italy&id=72710
>
> Sunday, May 8, 2005 (Rome):
>
> As Europe remembers the millions of people who were
> killed in World War
> II, in India the response to the 60th anniversary of
> the Allied victory
> over Nazi Germany has been muted.
>
> This is despite the fact that thousands of Indian
> soldiers were killed
> in the war against fascism.
>
> Kirpal Singh, the young sapper in The English
> Patient may have been a
> figment of Michael Ondaatje's imagination, but there
> were thousands of
> young Indians who were the real heroes during the
> war.
>
> Forgotten heroes
>
> They are our forgotten soldiers, men who fought
> thousands of kilometres
> away from home for the liberation of another
> country.
>
> Though there is still no memorial in India to honour
> them, Indian
> soldiers continue to be respected and remembered in
> Italy, particularly
> on days like April 25, the Liberation day in
> Italy--when Nazi forces
> were driven out of the country.
>
> For decades, school children in Italy have been
> taught that Indian
> soldiers in were fighting for the wrong side, the
> British in the war,
> and nationalistic politics at the time dictated the
> manner in which
> these soldiers would be honoured.
>
> 'The liberators'
>
> Going beyond the politics of the time, one may
> remember stories of some
> of the thousands of Indian soldiers who died
> fighting in what were
> among the most brutal military campaigns in history.
>
> Over 5000 Indians died fighting in Italy between
> 1943 and 1945, and
> were an integral part of the multi-national
> coalition that won the
> Italian campaign.
>
> In Italy, these men are considered liberators, and
> Major General
> Eustice D'Souza was one of them. The 84-year-old
> General is now among
> only a handful of Italy veterans still alive in
> India.
>
> "We got four battle honours in Italy, one Victoria
> Cross. Namdeo Jadav
> got the Victoria Cross for outstanding gallantry,"
> said Major General
> Eustice D'Souza.
>
> "There was another Naik Hari Lakde. The advance of
> the whole division
> was held up because of one German post with a
> machine gun. This chap
> crawled up through a gully or valley and pulled the
> hot machine gun
> with his bare hands and got rid of the Germans, his
> hands were burnt."
>
> 'Hellish encounters'
>
> The Allied assault in Italy followed the Axis
> surrender in North Africa
> in May 1943, and began with an invasion of Sicily --
> the start of a
> campaign that has been described as being a little
> short of hell.
>
> The 4th, 5th, 8th and 210th divisions of the Indian
> Army, fighting
> under the legendary 8th Indian Army that had
> defeated Rommel in North
> Africa, fought northwards through the Italian
> peninsula.
>
> These divisions liberated towns like Pescara, Terni,
> Florence, Rimini,
> Ferrara and Pisa.
>
> Though the Allied invasion struck a huge blow to
> Italian
> self-confidence, which resulted in Mussolini being
> deposed, taking on
> the German Army was an altogether different story.
>
> Battle of attrition
>
> The Indians had to fight through two main defensive
> lines, the Gustav
> line across the centre of the Italian peninsula and
> the Gothic line
> further north.
>
> Battles along these defences in places such as Monte
> Cassino proved to
> be a battle of attrition. The allies suffered huge
> casualties while
> taking on the Germans firmly lodged in secure
> positions.
>
> The Indian soldiers, fighting for a host of
> regiments which form some
> of the most famed units in the modern day Indian
> army, had all sorts of
> roles.
>
> Most were common infantry soldiers and gunners,
> while others were
> sappers, drivers and medical attendants. Many were
> only in their teens,
> no older than 16.
>
> Clearly, even as the heroism of these men remains
> largely ignored in
> India, they are highly revered in Italy where they
> served with valour
> and pride.
> --
> Jai Hind!
> Carlos
>
>
>
>
