Sikh temple describes vandalism of new Indian soldier statue as “despicable and cowardly act”
Staff Reporter
November 9, 2018
The management of a Sikh temple who last weekend unveiled a brand new statue to commemorate the contributions of South Asian soldiers during the First World War, have described its recent vandalism as a “despicable and cowardly act”.
Despite only being unveiled on Sunday, the 10ft bronze statue has already been vandalised, with graffiti appearing on the monument last night.
A 10ft statue of a #Sikh soldier unveiled last week outside Smethwick Sikh gurdwara to commemorate the First World War was vandalised last night and had graffiti written over it – it’s been taken off now but this is what was written. Sepoy is how the British referred to soldiers pic.twitter.com/YdYI8WPlwz
— Amardeep Bassey (@ambassey) November 9, 2018
Spray paint markings on the new landmark display the words ‘Sepoys no more’. Sepoys was a term used by the British Indian Army to describe a low-ranking cavalry trooper, many of whom were recruited from the Indian sub-continent to fight for the British in Europe.
The words ‘1 Jarnoil’ were also scrawled across the monument, which may be a reference to Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a prominent Sikh military leader who was killed in gunfighting during Operation Blue Star; an Indian military operation carried out in June 1984 to remove Jarnail and his supporters from the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, India.
A thick black strikeout line was also drawn over the words ‘Great War’, which appear alongside the Smethwick monument in gold lettering.
The above photographs of the vandalism have been shared by Huffington Post journalist Amardeep Bassey on his Twitter account. According to Bassey, West Midlands Police are treating the incident as criminal damage.
Early indications suggest the bronze statue – named Lions of the Great War – in Smethwick High Street was vandalised on Thursday night, but as of tonight an I Am Birmingham reporter has visited the site and confirmed the graffiti has since been removed.
The statue, which stands opposite the Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick, was commissioned by the temple to honour soldiers from the Indian subcontinent.
The incident takes place place only days before Remembrance services take place across the country, to honour those who fought for Britain.
Ranjit Dhillon / I Am Birmingham Guru Nanak Gurdwara responds
An official response from the Guru Nanak Gurdwara (GNG) following the vandalism states:
“We are aware of the vandalism that took place on the Lions of the Great War Monument site today and condemn this despicable and cowardly act.
“Jatinder Singh, President of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick was extremely disappointed with the actions of the vandals but remained resolute.
“There was some vandalism to the back wall overnight which is very disappointing. The graffiti was cleaned off and the matter was reported to the police.
“Working with the council we won’t allow this vandalism to undermine the very strong message created by this new monument and the overwhelmingly positive reaction to its unveiling.
“What makes this incident particularly distressing, is the complete disregard and lack of respect for the significance of the statue and inscriptions, installed recently to commemorate the losses felt by many South Asian families who lost their dear ones during the First World War and mark 100 years since the end of the Great War.”
“GNG Smethwick would advise anyone who witnesses vandalism or other anti-social behavior taking place to report any incidents to the police as soon as possible using 101. We are reviewing the CCTV and will be taking the necessary action.”
Ranjit Dhillon / I Am Birmingham Lions of the Great War
The 10-foot high bronze statue of a Sikh soldier was unveiled last week to honour over a million Indian soldiers who contributed to the Allied war effort during WWI.
Hundreds of members of the public, as well as army and local government personnel, gathered to witness the grand unveiling of the prestigious monument.
The procession began with a commemorative parade down Smethwick High street, followed by a minute’s silence to honour fallen soldiers and speeches from those who had played a major role in creation of the monument.
The 10ft high statue stands on a 6ft plinth with inscriptions on all four sides. These inscriptions include recognition of the centennial anniversary of the end of the Great War and the role of Sikhs in the British Army and wider society.
The monument began as an idea from sculptor Luke Perry after being inspired by his wife’s academic research into World War One.
Ranjit Dhillon / I Am BirminghamHundreds of people gathered to witness the unveiling of the statue last week. Speaking to I Am Birmingham, Luke explained: “What struck me is the amount of soldiers in the Indian sub continent who patched up the Western Front… and the amount of contributions they gave and the sacrifices they made and how it’s completely unrecognised.”
He then set out to bring recognition to the fallen soldiers of the commonwealth and the idea was keenly accepted by Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick, who agreed to fund the costs of creating the monument.
Ranjit Dhillon / I Am Birmingham In his speech during the unveiling, President of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick, Jatinder Singh said:
“All soldiers of all faiths, of all countries and all ranks who laid down their lives in World War One.”
Preet Kaur Gill, the first UK female Sikh MP, told I Am Birmingham: “We have a shared history and it’s really important that we recognise and understand that it’s really important that the statue is here as a reminder for future generations.”
The statue is located in Smethwick High Street opposite the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick; and sits on a 6ft granite plinth, permanently based between High Street and Tollhouse Way.
