Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Polish capital Warsaw on Wednesday paid homage at the Kolhapur Memorial that was constructed as a tribute to the royal family of Kolhapur, which played an instrumental role in providing shelter to the women and children from Poland in India who were displaced during the Second World War.
Taking to X, PM Modi, while sharing pictures of his visit to the Kolhapur Memorial in the Polish capital, wrote: “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.”
According to some historical anecdotes, approximately 5,000 Polish refugees are believed to have lived in India between 1942 and 1948. The exact numbers of Poles who resided in India, however, are not established.
A number of transit camps were set up across the country for the Polish refugees.
Earlier on Wednesday, PM Modi also paid tribute at The Dobry Maharaja Memorial in Warsaw that honours Jamsaheb of Nawanagar Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja’s act of kindness during World War-II.
The statue was built in recognition of Dobry (Good) Maharaja’s compassionate gesture of providing hundreds of Polish children refuge during the Second World War which remains one of the most evocative chapters in the relations between India and Poland and has had a lasting impact on ties between the two countries.
Many Polish elderlies as well as their kin even today fondly remember India’s act of kindness in assisting and providing shelter to the refugees, even as the country, which was under British rule back then, was sailing through rough waters.
Also, icons like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru were known for being in support of Poland’s struggle against the invasion by Germany, the erstwhile Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of the Second World War in September 1939.
PM Modi’s visit to Poland is the first-ever by an Indian leader to the central European nation in 45 years.