Glorious Chapters in India’s History

                Vasudev Kutumbakam- The World is a Family
       This aphorism has been part of India's spiritual heritage for thousands of years 

                   A Maharaja Creates a Special Bond between Poland and India 

According to the Polish History Museum, as the Second World War raged, Poland was trapped between Lenin’s Russia and Hitler’s Germany. Hundreds of Polish children were orphaned. Maharaja Digvijaysinhji Ranjit Singhji of Nawanagar, near Jamnagar, Gujarat, India, came to know about it and offered to host them. In 1942, around 600 Polish children, some of them Jewish, made the hazardous journey by sea and land from Siberia. On the way, they were denied entry from all ports from Iran to Mumbai, which was under British rule at that time. When they at last arrived at Nawanagar, the Maharaja welcomed them personally and said, ‘You are no longer orphans. ‘From now on you are Nawangarians, and I am Bapu, (father) of all Nawangarians, so I’m your father as well.’ The age range of the children was from two to seventeen. The malnourished and unwell children were given great medical care. An Indian doctor, Asham, learnt Polish to be able to understand the health issues of the children. The Maharaja offered the guest rooms of his palace to be used as a school for the children. The children were provided with many activities, including sports and other outdoor pursuits. Businesses such as Tata and many individuals raised over 600,000 rupees for the welfare of the children. It was a huge amount at the time. A Chapel and a Catholic priest were provided to meet the spiritual needs of the children. Special care was taken to teach the children about their cultural heritage. The Polish government gave Maharaja Digvijaysinhji the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland posthumously. Another refugee centre for older people was set up in Valivade near Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. Between 1942 and 1948, there were 5,000 Polish refugees there. Over the period of six years some 20,000 refugees from many nationalities passed through the centre. A square in Warsaw, Poland, is named after the Maharaja, and a small park in Warsaw’s Ochita area is also called the Square of the Good Maharaja. The Friends of India Education Foundation in Warsaw runs schools in Bednarska and Baszynska Street, which keep the arts and artefacts of India as a reminder of the refugee children who spent time in India. The school also provides free food for the refugees in the city. This event is a proud chapter in India’s history, which saved the lives of hundreds of children.

                       The welcoming of the persecuted Zoroastrians' from Iran.

Sometime around 8 Century the Zorostarian community arrived in India as refugees from Iran. They were fleeing religious persecution arrived in Gujarat and were given full freedom to practice their religion by the local king. Known as Parsis they have been living in India for almost 13 Centuries with no known case of any malice or hatred from the majority Hindus. In fact the Parsis are the most successful community. They are captains of industry and they have played a unique role in some of the most powerful positions of the country. They practice their faith with full freedom.

               Here is an introduction to some of the great Parsis of India

1 The most prominent name is that of the industrialist giants Tata. Tata’s are one the biggest employers in Britain as owners of the Steel industry and as owners of Jaguar. In 2020 Tata Consultancy Services which is global IT services consultancy and business solutions firm was named the Top employer in the UK.
2 Homi Jehangir Bhabha was the father of India’s nuclear programme.
3 Dr. Homi Sethna guided the development of India’s first nuclear explosive device.
4 Field Marshal Sam Hormusji, Framji Jameshedji Manekshaw was Chief of Army Staff during the 1971 war with Pakistan. He was the first Indian Army Officer to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal.
5 Dr. Cyrus Poonawala, Industrialist, Pharmacologist and founder of Serum Institute of India. The institute was founded in 1966. It is at present the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by number of doses produced and sold globally(more than 1.5 billion doses). For most of the developing countries India is the main supplier of essential medicines. India has provided free CoronaVirus vaccinations to almost 37 countries.
6 Bhikaji Rustom Cama or Madam Cama was a prominent figure in India’s freedom struggle. In London she was in touch with revolutionaries like Vir Savarkar, Lala Hardayal and Shyamji Krishnaverma. In 1909 she moved to Paris and with Hardayal launched his revolutionary paper called ‘Bande Matram’. On August 21,1907 at an International Conference of Socialists in Stuttgart, Germany she became the first Indian to unfurl the Indian National Flag.
7 Dadabhai Naoroji was the first Indian MP in the UK. He was elected as a candidate for the Liberal Party for Central Finchley in 1892. He passionately fought for the freedom of India and came to be known as the ‘Grand Old man of India’. He was also professor of Gujarati at University College London between 1856 and 1865!
There are many more prominent Parsis playing important roles in the Indian society. The total number of Parsis in India is around 61,000 compared to the almost 1.2 billion population of the country! The achievements of the Parsi community are incredible. The left wing media, so called liberals and biased Indian academics can never deny how the majority Hindu population made the Parsi community an integral part of Indian society. The Parsi community is also big in philanthropy. Just around Mumbai they have around one thousand Charities.

                              Operation Jiyo Parsi (Live Parsis)!   

In 2015 the Indian government earmarked 100 million rupees to help grow the population of Parsis. Their numbers have been going down for decades. The community were to be offered all the help they needed in increasing their numbers! This extent of support to a minority community is not heard of throughout Human History!

                             The Jewish Presence in India.

There has been a Jewish presence in India for 2000 years. It is acknowledged by Jewish people that they
have never faced any persecution in India. Like the Parsis, the Jewish people have played a prominent role in Indian Society.
David Sasson(1792-1864),a Baghdadi Jew and his family were the largest textile mill owners in India. They had around 17 Mills in Mumbai. Their business supported over half of Mumbai’s households either by direct employment or indirect trade. They too were big in philanthropy. They contributed to the construction of Gateway of India and the Institute of Science.
Lieutenant JFR Jacob, also a Baghdadi Jew, was a Chief of Staff of the Indian Army’s Eastern Command and also a Governor of Goa and Punjab. He played a major role in the 1971 war against Pakistan. He negotiated the Historic surrender of Pakistani troops in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In 2009 when General Jacob met former Israeli president Shimon Perez he was offered citizenship of Israel. Jacob replied, ‘ I am a son of India, I would die on Indian soil, I served my beloved country’. In 1992 he wrote a letter to the youth of India in which he said that though he was a proud Jew,’ I am an Indian through and through’. Israel honoured General Jacobs with a plaque on the Ammunition Hill Wall of Honour.
Vice Admiral Benjamin Abraham Samson was Indian Navy Admiral Flag Officer and Commander of the Indian Fleet. He was the First Naval Officer to serve as the Commandant of the National Defence Academy.
His daughter Leela Samson is a Bharatnatyam dancer, choreographer, instructor, writer and actor. She has also served as the director of Kalakshetra. She has also been the Chairperson of Sangeet Natak Academy and Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification(2011). Many actors of India’s film industry were Jewish.

                                The Baha'is

Persecuted in Iran the Baha’is have also found a safe haven in India. Right in the Center of Delhi they have the Bahai Lotus Temple. It is a major tourist attraction.

                              The Tibetan Buddhists in India

Ever since the Chinese invaded Tibet in 1959 the Tibetans have found a safe heaven in India. There are around 100,000 Tibetans living in India. The largest settlement of the Tibetans in India is in Bylakuppe, Mysore district of Karnataka. Bylakuppe Tibetan Settlement(BTS) is a 3000 acres of land leased by the then Chief Minister S. Nijalingappa to the Tibetan community. They practice their faith with full freedom and keep their culture and traditions alive. The spiritual leader of the Tibetans, the Dalai Lama says that he is, ‘son of India’. Based at the headquarters of the Tibetan community in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh
the Dalai Lama has said that religious harmony in India was remarkable and there is,’ Free Media’. Describing India as a secular country, the Dalai Lama said he has been promoting “Ahimsa and Compassion”, which are intrinsic values of Indians that have been followed over thousands of years. According to him other countries need to follow India’s principles of religious freedom.
This essay shows that it takes two to tango. The minorities have to respect the ethos of the majority and be loyal to the country which has welcomed them. Sometimes minorities can be unreasonable, bullying and even violent. The left wing politicians, writers and academics love using the word, ‘Majoritarianism’. Meaning that only the majority of a country is in the wrong. They despise any acknowledgment of the History, culture, traditions of the original inhabitants of the country. These people who rush to the defence of the minorities no matter what the situation actually are the biggest obstacles to the progress of minorities.
Nitin Mehta
12 December 2021.