About India 1914

India1914 website is a part of our ‘Remembering Indian Soldiers’ project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Remembering Indian Soldiers is working to profile the legacy of Indian soldiers and their important contribution during WW1. The project is looking at Indian soldiers from all the various communities and regions regardless of their race or religion. One of its primary aims is to share the heritage with the various ethnic communities, in particular with the Dharmic (Hindu, Jain, Buddhist) and Zoroastrian community in the United Kingdom.

This shared history is relevant as in today’s multi-faith Britain with more than a million people from these faiths have made the UK their home.

The Indian contribution during WW1 was considerable, but much of the story is missing from the public domain. India provided the largest voluntary force ever assembled in history with around 1.5 million individuals. Remembering Indian Soldiers will help broaden the engagement and understanding of WW1 among these communities, as well as within the wider public sphere. We will put particular emphasis on engaging with the younger generation by providing a ‘relevancy’ framework of how their ancestor’s contribution on the world stage impacted the future paths of the two nations in terms of independence, migration and national identity.

The Board

The India1914 website and the Remembering Indian Soldiers which is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund is managed by the Palan Foundation.

Sikh soldier Naik Gian Singh who died in 1996, was awarded the highest award for gallantry from King George VI

The son of the Sikh soldier Naik Gian Singh who died in 1996, was awarded the highest award for gallantry from King George VI in October 1945 for his part in the Burma campaign was left “in tears” when he found out his father’s World War Two medal is worth an incredible £250,000

Palan Foundation

The Palan Foundation is a charitable organisation established in 2013 to offer life-changing opportunities for people to help fulfil their aspirational goals.

It has a broad spectrum of charitable aims nurturing the philosophy of personal, social and economic growth.

The inspiration behind the Foundation stems from a philanthropic mission to fulfil its personal and corporate social responsibility. There is particular emphasis on projects related to the ‘younger generation’. Its ethos is to secure opportunities for future generations by working for and with them. Only by such inclusive partnerships, is their hope for future social and economic wealth for us all.

Supporters

In order to progress the understanding of the role of Indian soldiers in the First World War and its implication on modern times, the Palan Foundation has developed additional projects that are of benefit to its Remembering Indian Soldiers Heritage Lottery supported the project.

Partners

India 1914 is developing partnerships with like-minded organisations and as the work develops in the coming months we will be profiling our partners here.

The Team

India1914 team consists of a small team that is motivated and inspired to help raise awareness nationwide. The project is supported by the Palan Foundation.

Remembering the Forgotten Heroes: November 11th - A Day to Honour Indian Soldiers of WWI

Armistice Day or Remembrance Day 

November 11th is a day of global significance, known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in many parts of the world. It is a day to pay tribute to the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives during World War I. While we often remember the soldiers who fought on the Western Front, it's equally important to remember the lesser-known heroes of this global conflict. Among them are the nearly 1.5 million Indian soldiers who joined the Allied forces to defend Europe during WWI. This article is a call to the current generation to honour and remember these forgotten heroes on November 11th.

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