Brighton Council, England, to honour Indian Army's role in World Wars

The Brighton and Hove city council in England has decided to hold an annual multi-faith event at the town's India Gate memorial this October to commemorate the role of Indian soldiers in the two World Wars.

The one-day event will be held at the India Gate in Brighton to pay tribute to the soldiers of the undivided India.

India Gate in Brighton 

Thomas Tyrwhitt designed the India Gate in Brighton, England. The structure, influenced by Gujarati architecture, has a dome resting on four pillars.

Maharaja of Patiala Bhupender Singh unveiled the India Gate in Brighton on 26 October 1921. The India Gate was presented to the people of Brighton by the princes and people of India to express their thanks for the care provided by Brighton town's hospitals to the Indian soldiers who were wounded in the First and Second World Wars.  

The India Gate structure stands at the southern entrance of the Royal Pavilion. Twelve thousand Indian soldiers who were wounded in the First World War’s western front were hospitalised at sites around Brighton, England, including  York Place School, the Dome, the Corn Exchange and the Royal Pavilion.

The Indian soldiers from undivided India included soldiers from modern-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Bhutan.

Indian Soldier's Contribution to the First and Second World Wars

In the First World War(4 August 1914 to 11 November 1918), around 13 lakh Indian soldiers from undivided India fought for the British empire and over 74,000 lost their lives. The Indian soldiers fought for the British Empire on the Western Front in East Africa, Mesopotamia(Iraq), Egypt and Gallipoli (Turkey).

In World War II (1939-1945), over 25 lakh Indian soldiers from undivided India served in the British army. It was considered to be the largest volunteer army in human history. The Indian Army was deployed in Africa to fight against the German tank divisions in Africa, against the Japanese forces in Myanmar (then Burma). It played a crucial role in the invasion of Italy and played a significant part in battles in the Middle East. An estimated 87 thousand Indian troops lost their lives during the Second World War.

Chattri and Other  War Memorials at Brighton 

Apart from India Gate, there are other monuments in Brighton to honour the Indian soldiers who fought in the First and Second World Wars.

Chattri Memorial 

The Chattri memorial near Patcham has been erected at the spot where 53 Hindu and Sikh soldiers who died in the Brighton hospitals were cremated. The memorial plinth contains English, Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi inscriptions. The memorial was unveiled by Edward VIII, Prince of Wales, on 21 February 1921.

Shah Jahan Mosque, Woking, Surrey  

Indian Muslim soldiers who died in English hospitals were also buried. Some of the soldiers were buried in a cemetery near  Shah Jahan Mosque near Woking, Surrey, England.  

India Gate in New Delhi 

The India Gate was originally known as the All India War Memorial. It was part of the work of the Imperial War Graves Commission, which was later renamed as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The Imperial War Graves Commission was set up by the British Government in 1917 to honour those who died fighting for the British during the First World War. 

The Duke of Connaught laid the foundation of the All-India War Memorial on 10 February 1921. Edward Lutyens designed the 42-meter-high India Gate. In 1931, Viceroy Lord Irwin dedicated the monument to the nation. 

The India Gate commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers of the British Army who lost their lives during the First World War.

The names of 13,516 Indian and British soldiers who were killed in the Northwestern  Frontier in the 1919 Afghan War are engraved in the monument.

The entire arch of the India Gate stands on a base made of red Bharatpur stone and rises in stages to a huge moulding. 

The Amar Jawan Jyoti was added to the India Gate later. Amar Jawan Jyoti is an eternal flame which burns day and night. It is in remembrance of the Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in the Indo-Pakistan War of December 1971.