The Israeli city of Haifa paid a tribute to fallen Indian soldiers on Monday, whereby the mayor notices that the school history books of the city are being changed to correct that it was Indian troops and not the British that liberated the city from Ottoman rule.
“I was born in this city and graduated here. We were constantly told that this city was liberated by the British until someone from historical society beat my door one day and said they did a thorough investigation and discovered that it was not the British, but the Indians who freed this city (of the Ottomaniac),” said Yahav, said Yaahav, said..
He made the comments while during a ceremony he addressed a meeting at the Indian cemetery of fallen soldiers to pay tribute to their courage.
“In every school we change the texts and we say it wasn’t the British, but the Indians who freed us,” said Yahav.
During the First World War, Indian cavalry regiments armed with spears and swords released the Ottoman troops from the rocky slopes of MT Carmel under all opportunities to free the city, in what most war historians consider “the last major cavalry campaign in history”.
Mayor Yahav had said during the first ceremony at the same location in 2009 that the history books of the Northern Coastal City will include the story of the liberation of Indian soldiers, and today is a well -known fact among young people in the city.
The Indian army commemorates every year on September 23 as Haifa Day to express its respect to the three brave Indian cavalry regiments – Mysore, Hyderabad and Jodhpur Lancers – that helped to free Haifa after a Dashing -Cavalerie on that date in 1918.
An event to pay tribute to the Brave Indian Soldiers is also organized every year at the Indian soldier cemetery here by the Indian mission and the Haifa municipality.
Captain Aman Singh Bahadur and Dafadar Jor Singh received the Indian Order of Merit (IOM), and Captain Anop Singh and 2nd Lt Sagat Singh received the Military Cross (MC) as recognition of their courage in this battle.
Major Dalpat Singh, according to popular as the hero of Haifa, received a military cross for his courage.
The Jodhpur Lancers lost eight men and had injured 34 in the fight. But they also conquered more than 700 prisoners, 17 field guns and 11 machine guns.
The battle was described as “almost the only opportunity when a reinforced city was caught by cavalry on the canter,” said India’s ambassador in Israel JP Singh during his address at the event.
Indian troops played a crucial role in the campaign, which resulted in the defeat of the Ottoman troops in the region. More than 74,000 Indian troops put down their lives during the First World War, including more than 4,000 in Western Asia, Singh claimed.
“It was one of the last classic cavalry actions in an era in which large-scale war mechanization saw,” said the Indian ambassador.
“These fallen soldiers represented all major religions and regions of our country. And this tribute shows that their courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten,” he added.
In Israel there are memorials for Indian soldiers in Haifa, Jerusalem and Ramle, including some Indian soldiers who were of Jewish descent.
About 900 Indian soldiers are buried in cemeteries in these cities of Israel.
As a tribute to the courage of these soldiers, the embassy of India, with the help of the Israeli authorities, sets up “The India Trail” in the Holy Land.
History of the textbooks in Haifa Learning about the story of the liberation of Haifa by Indian soldiers of classes 3 to 5. The Haifa Historical Society has also been to schools in the city in the past decade that tells the story to young people.
In a symbolic gesture of friendship with Israel, India renamed the iconic teen Murti Chowk, a monument founded in 1922 in New Delhi to commemorate this historical deed, such as “Teen Murti Haifa Chowk” during the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Indian cemetery in Haifa during his visit to Israel in July 2017 and revealed a plaque to commemorate Major Dalpat Singh for his crucial role in the liberation of the city.
“I am deeply honored to be here today to greet the brave Indian soldiers who have laid their lives for the liberation of Haifa during the WW I,” Modi had written in the guestbook.
The 61st cavalry, the name given to the unit made after the merger of the three cavalry units after independence, sent a contingent to Israel in 2018 to participate in the Centsary parties.
The Israel Post had issued a memorial stamp in 2018 to appreciate the role of the Indian soldiers when freeing the city.
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