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.
The London Assembly has 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.”
