Warsaw: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who became the first Indian leader to visit Poland in 45 years, paid homage at the Monte Cassino Memorial and the Memorial to the Kolhapur Family, which are located next to each other in Warsaw. This came after he laid a wreath to honour the Jam Saheb of Nawanagar in the Polish capital.
"Paid homage at the Kolhapur Memorial in Warsaw. This Memorial is a tribute to the great Royal Family of Kolhapur. This Royal Family was at the forefront of giving shelter to Polish women and children displaced due to the horrors of World War II. Inspired by the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the great Royal Family of Kolhapur put humanity above everything else and ensured a life of dignity for the Polish women and children. This act of compassion will keep inspiring generations," he said on X.
The Monte Cassino Memorial commemorates the victory of the soldiers of the Second Polish Corps at the Battle of Monte Cassino during World War II from May 11 to May 18 in 1944. The Second Polish Corps conquered the hill against Nazi German forces and the monastery on it. More than 900 Polish soldiers were killed in this battle. PM Modi also interacted with the Indian community after paying tribute.
What is Poland's connection to Kolhapur?
The age-old relations between India and Poland are connected to Jam Sahib of Nawanagar (now in Gujarat's Jamnagar), when India provided shelter to around 6,000 displaced Polish children who were lost and orphaned amid death and destruction caused by WWII and the 1939 Soviet invasion of Poland.
Maharaja Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji of Jamnagar sheltered over 1,000 Polish refugee children in Gujarat—an act of kindness still remembered in Poland today. As a member of the Imperial War Council, established the Polish Children’s Camp in Jamnagar-Balachadi to offer refuge to civilians who had escaped from the Soviet Union. He was influential in helping over 6,000 Polish children survive the war years in India.
The Polish children’s camp in Jamnagar-Balachadi continued to operate until 1945, after which the children were relocated to the Valivade camp, near Kolhapur in Maharashtra. These camps housed schools and medical services. Valivade was chosen due to its favourable climate, located about 500 km south of Mumbai. It was expected to provide a better living environment compared to harsh conditions in other regions. The majority of 5,000 Poles welcomed by the Kolhapur Royal Family had arrived either by land or sea route after evacuations from Polish camps at the height of the Second World War.
After Polish refugees departed this place, its significance was preserved via various memorials. There is a cemetery in Kolhapur, which was restored in 2014 and honours the Polish individuals who died while they were in India. The Memorial to the Kolhapur family was set up by those who spent their childhood in Maharashtra. PM Modi is the first Indian leader to honour all three memorials located in Warsaw.
PM Modi's agenda
During his stay, PM Modi is set to engage in discussions with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Andrzej Duda to explore avenues for deepening bilateral relations. He will also connect with the Indian community in Poland, acknowledging their vital contributions to the cultural and economic ties between the two nations.
Shortly before emplaning to Poland on Thursday, the Prime Minister said he looked forward to the opportunity to meeting the Polish leadership to advance India's partnership with Warsaw, as well as strengthen bilateral cooperation and share perspectives on a peaceful resolution of the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
After concluding his Poland trip, PM Modi will visit Ukraine on an invitation by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which comes after his highly-publicised trip to Russia on June 8-9 amid the raging war between Moscow and Kyiv. Modi would become the first Indian leader ever to visit Ukraine after diplomatic relations were established in 1992.
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