04 Dec 2020
Uncategorized 320 Comments
December 4, 2020 thepartizaneditor

The Indian Schindler and a little Poland in Gujarat

1st of September, 1939 was a momentous day in the history of entire humankind – the day Hitler’s 3rd Reich stormed into Poland and unleashed hell, the day which pushed the world into the deadliest war it has ever seen. What often goes unnoticed is that the poor Polish people suffered the misfortune of seeing their beloved homeland ravaged not once but twice over. Sixteen days after the German armed forces and tanks rolled into Poland, Stalin’s Red Army walked into the country through its eastern borders and faced considerably less resistance from an already vanquished foe.
Germany and the Soviet Union had earlier arrived at a tacit agreement to carve up Poland among themselves with Germany keeping the western parts and the Red Army occupying the eastern areas. This mutually beneficial cooperation remained in place till 1941 when Hitler decided “dil maange more” and waged into war against Soviet Russia. While horrors of the German occupation were well documented, the same of the Soviets, although less publicized, were no less horrific. Adult males were forcibly conscripted into the Red Army. Women and children were made homeless and most were thrown into refugee camps in central Asia or Siberia where they lived in miserable conditions.
In 1941, the Polish government-in-exile managed to convince Joseph Stalin to agree to an amnesty, brokered by Red Cross, to allow Polish refugees to leave the Russian gulags where they’d been living and relocate to different countries which were willing to give them shelter. Mexico and New Zealand were among the countries that provided a new home to some of the refugees. But probably the most magnanimous gesture came from a kind heart closer home.
Maharaja Jam Sahib Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja, the ruler of Nawanagar, was a Hindu member of Britain’s war cabinet. His close friendship with Ignacy Paderewski, a Polish pianist and diplomat, had anyway made him fond of Polish culture. The plight of the homeless children moved him much and he acted swiftly to provide a home to some of them. The British Indian administration was less keen about the same. They were happy to have a Polish army to help with war efforts but less so about civilians. Thus it happened that when a ship from Iran, carrying nearly 1000 Polish refugee children arrived in Bombay, the British Governor refused to let it dock. That’s when the kind king intervened.
With his own money and contributions from his royal friends, he raised Rs 6, 00, 000 to build a refugee colony in Balachadi – a seaside vacation resort for the royal family of Jamnagar. More than 60 buildings, a chapel, laundry rooms, a stage to hold plays, a community center for Saturday evening dances for the young adults, sports grounds – all came up here between 1942 and 1945. When the 1st batch of about 170 Polish kids arrived at Balachadi, the Jamsahib welcomed them with these words: “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.”
For the refugee children whose only reality in life was the harshness of the Soviet gulags, this was paradise. The dormitories had bunk beds – one for each child, a luxury they had never known. Digvijaysinhi even handed over the royal guest house to be converted into a school. A special library was set up with Polish books so that the children could learn their mother tongue. When they struggled to adapt to spicy Indian food, the Jam Sahib arranged for 7 chefs from Goa who were tasked with preparing less spicy food palatable for the children.
"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."

One of the favorite pastimes of the children was staging plays and Digvijaysinhi never missed attending these. He would arrive with toffees in his coat pockets which he distributed generously after the event was over. Whenever he attended a show, he donated 1001/-. Between 1942 and late 1946 when it wound up, it is estimated that close to 1000 Polish refugee children found shelter at the camp in Balachedi.
When the camp finally wound up and the children journeyed for their original homeland, it was difficult to say who was more heartbroken, the king or his little friends. Digvijaysinhi never asked for a single penny of compensation for all that he did. His only wish was to have a road/street named after him in Poland. Sadly, it was not to be fulfilled in his lifetime. The new regime of Poland in the post-war era was Communist and was wary that such an act would give highlight to the atrocities committed by Soviet Russia from 1939 – 1941. It would be long before the benevolent king’s dear wish would be honored.
In 2012, long after the fall of the Communist regime, Poland finally recognized her friend in need. A square in Warsaw was named after Digvijaysinhji – dubbed Square of the Good Maharaja. A monument in his honor was also erected and he was posthumously awarded “The Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.”

Even today, Jamnagar gets Polish visitors every year, many of them the children – now in their 80s – who for the first time in their lives experienced true childhood and humanity in this foreign land thanks to a man with a very large heart.

Comments (320)

  3. Save SurgeGraph Review

    I have been surfing on-line greater than three hours today, but I by
    no means found any interesting article like yours. It’s
    lovely price enough for me. In my opinion, if all website owners and bloggers made
    excellent content material as you did, the web
    will likely be much more helpful than ever before.

  4. buy award winning wines

    Hey There. I discovered your weblog using msn. This is a very well written article. I will make sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I’ll certainly comeback.

  5. tlovertonet

    You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be actually something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!

  73. best CTR tool for local SEO

    I am now not sure where you are getting your info, but great topic. I needs to spend some time finding out much more or understanding more. Thanks for magnificent information I used to be in search of this information for my mission.

  75. fleur de cbd pas cher

    I would like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this blog. I’m hoping the same high-grade website post from you in the upcoming as well. In fact your creative writing skills has inspired me to get my own website now. Really the blogging is spreading its wings fast. Your write up is a great example of it.

  76. receptor av 5.1

    Awesome blog you have here but I was wondering if you knew of any forums that cover the same topics discussed here? I’d really like to be a part of online community where I can get feed-back from other experienced people that share the same interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Appreciate it!

  77. how to hire a hacker

    Unquestionably consider that which you stated. Your favourite reason appeared to be on the net the simplest thing to take into accout of. I say to you, I definitely get annoyed even as other folks think about issues that they just do not recognise about. You managed to hit the nail upon the highest and outlined out the entire thing without having side-effects , other folks can take a signal. Will likely be back to get more. Thank you

  78. private investigator

    It’s actually a cool and useful piece of info. I am glad that you shared this useful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.

  79. Gutoptim review

    This is the right blog for anyone who wants to find out about this topic. You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just great!

  80. Sightcare review

    My partner and I stumbled over here by a different website and thought I may as well check things out. I like what I see so now i’m following you. Look forward to exploring your web page for a second time.

  81. Pro nail complex review

    I am no longer positive the place you are getting your information, but good topic. I needs to spend some time studying more or working out more. Thanks for magnificent information I was looking for this information for my mission.

  83. Redboost reviews

    The subsequent time I read a weblog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as a lot as this one. I imply, I do know it was my option to read, but I actually thought youd have one thing fascinating to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you could possibly fix in case you werent too busy on the lookout for attention.

  84. uweed

    Hi my loved one! I want to say that this article is awesome, nice written and come with approximately all important infos. I would like to look extra posts like this .

  86. sugar defender drops

    My spouse and I stumbled over here from a different web address and thought I may as well check things out. I like what I see so now i’m following you. Look forward to finding out about your web page again.

  87. nagano lean body tonic reviews

    I have been exploring for a bit for any high quality articles or weblog posts in this kind of house . Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this site. Reading this info So i?¦m satisfied to show that I’ve an incredibly just right uncanny feeling I came upon exactly what I needed. I such a lot no doubt will make sure to do not overlook this web site and provides it a glance on a constant basis.

  88. Emperors Vigor Tonic

    Nice post. I was checking continuously this blog and I am impressed! Extremely helpful information specifically the last part 🙂 I care for such information much. I was looking for this particular information for a long time. Thank you and good luck.

  91. Fitspresso reviews

    Helpful info. Fortunate me I discovered your website by accident, and I’m shocked why this coincidence did not came about in advance! I bookmarked it.

  92. Denticore

    I¦ve read a few good stuff here. Certainly price bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how so much attempt you set to make the sort of wonderful informative web site.

  93. Nagano lean body tonic

    I have learn some just right stuff here. Certainly value bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how a lot attempt you set to make this type of wonderful informative web site.

  95. Sumatra slim belly tonic reviews

    Thanks for some other informative web site. Where else may just I get that kind of info written in such a perfect method? I have a undertaking that I am just now operating on, and I have been on the look out for such info.

  96. The Genius Wave

    With havin so much content do you ever run into any problems of plagorism or copyright infringement? My blog has a lot of unique content I’ve either created myself or outsourced but it looks like a lot of it is popping it up all over the internet without my authorization. Do you know any solutions to help protect against content from being ripped off? I’d definitely appreciate it.

  98. cbd suisse

    Great wordpress blog here.. It’s hard to find quality writing like yours these days. I really appreciate people like you! take care

  102. hackers for hire

    Thanks for any other informative site. Where else could I get that kind of information written in such a perfect means? I have a project that I am simply now working on, and I have been on the glance out for such info.

  103. Java Burn

    Thanks for sharing superb informations. Your web-site is so cool. I’m impressed by the details that you have on this blog. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for extra articles. You, my friend, ROCK! I found simply the info I already searched all over the place and just could not come across. What a perfect web-site.

  104. Serolean

    Hi this is kind of of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding experience so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience. Any help would be enormously appreciated!

  105. Boostaro

    I have been absent for a while, but now I remember why I used to love this site. Thank you, I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your web site?

  106. Renew supplement review

    I really like your writing style, wonderful info, appreciate it for posting :D. “Your central self is totally untouched By grief, confusion, desperation.” by Vernon Howard.

  109. java burn

    What is Java Burn? Java Burn, an innovative weight loss supplement, is poised to transform our perception of fat loss.

  110. sugar defender review

    hello!,I like your writing so much! proportion we keep in touch more approximately your article on AOL? I require a specialist in this space to solve my problem. May be that’s you! Taking a look ahead to peer you.

  111. Java Burn

    Hello.This article was extremely remarkable, particularly since I was searching for thoughts on this matter last Thursday.

  113. Fitspresso review

    I’m not sure why but this website is loading very slow for me. Is anyone else having this issue or is it a issue on my end? I’ll check back later on and see if the problem still exists.

  114. SightCare reviews

    You really make it appear really easy along with your presentation however I to find this matter to be really one thing that I think I would never understand. It sort of feels too complicated and extremely wide for me. I am looking forward in your subsequent post, I will attempt to get the hold of it!

  117. Lottery defeater

    I discovered your blog site on google and check a few of your early posts. Continue to keep up the very good operate. I just additional up your RSS feed to my MSN News Reader. Seeking forward to reading more from you later on!…

  119. Edisont

    What an insightful article! Your ability to break down complex topics into easily understandable points is truly commendable. I appreciate the thorough research and the engaging writing style that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. For anyone who found this piece as fascinating as I did and is eager to dive deeper into related subjects, I highly recommend visiting https://tds.rida.tokyo/com. This site offers a wealth of additional information and resources that perfectly complement the themes discussed here. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and providing such valuable content. I look forward to reading more of your work in the future!

  121. fitspresso review

    Hmm is anyone else encountering problems with the images on this blog loading? I’m trying to determine if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

  122. click to read

    I¦ve learn a few just right stuff here. Definitely worth bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how so much effort you set to make the sort of wonderful informative site.

  123. best restaurants in panama city beach florida

    Hey there I am so delighted I found your site, I really found you by mistake, while I was researching on Aol for something else, Anyhow I am here now and would just like to say many thanks for a incredible post and a all round interesting blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read it all at the moment but I have book-marked it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a great deal more, Please do keep up the great job.

  124. Sugar Defender

    Hey there! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any problems with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing several weeks of hard work due to no backup. Do you have any methods to protect against hackers?

  126. link aminototo

    Attractive section of content. I just stumbled upon your website and in accession capital to assert that I acquire in fact enjoyed account your blog posts. Anyway I will be subscribing to your feeds and even I achievement you access consistently rapidly.

  128. lottery defeater

    I am curious to find out what blog platform you are using? I’m having some minor security problems with my latest site and I’d like to find something more safe. Do you have any recommendations?

  129. SeroLean

    Greetings! Very helpful advice on this article! It is the little changes that make the biggest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!

  130. Fitspresso review

    Good write-up, I am normal visitor of one’s site, maintain up the excellent operate, and It is going to be a regular visitor for a lengthy time.

  131. puravive review

    whoah this weblog is wonderful i really like studying your articles. Stay up the great work! You already know, many individuals are looking round for this information, you could help them greatly.

  132. renew review

    Hey! Quick question that’s entirely off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My site looks weird when viewing from my iphone 4. I’m trying to find a template or plugin that might be able to fix this issue. If you have any suggestions, please share. Thank you!

  133. SightCare

    What i do not understood is in fact how you are now not really a lot more well-appreciated than you might be now. You are so intelligent. You already know thus significantly when it comes to this subject, produced me in my view believe it from numerous numerous angles. Its like men and women are not involved unless it?¦s something to do with Girl gaga! Your own stuffs great. Always take care of it up!

  134. Javaburn review

    Hi there, I found your website by way of Google even as looking for a comparable topic, your web site got here up, it appears good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.

  135. Sight Care review

    It is really a nice and useful piece of info. I’m glad that you shared this useful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.

  136. spa and massage package

    Greetings from Carolina! I’m bored at work so I decided to check out your blog on my iphone during lunch break. I love the info you present here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home. I’m amazed at how quick your blog loaded on my phone .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyways, wonderful site!

  138. delta 11 near me

    F*ckin’ awesome issues here. I am very satisfied to peer your post. Thank you a lot and i am having a look forward to touch you. Will you kindly drop me a mail?

  139. java burn

    What Is Java Burn? Java Burn is a natural health supplement that is formulated using clinically backed ingredients that promote healthy weight loss.

  143. Prodentim

    Hi there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it’s really informative. I’m going to watch out for brussels. I will appreciate if you continue this in future. A lot of people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!

  144. Lottery defeater software

    Hi , I do believe this is an excellent blog. I stumbled upon it on Yahoo , i will come back once again. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and help other people.

  150. sight care

    Do you have a spam problem on this site; I also am a blogger, and I was wondering your situation; many of us have developed some nice practices and we are looking to exchange solutions with others, why not shoot me an e-mail if interested.

  154. Renew Review

    What i do not realize is in reality how you are not actually much more neatly-preferred than you may be now. You’re very intelligent. You already know thus considerably on the subject of this subject, made me personally consider it from a lot of numerous angles. Its like women and men are not fascinated except it is one thing to do with Lady gaga! Your own stuffs excellent. Always deal with it up!

  157. PotentStream Reviews

    We are a gaggle of volunteers and opening a brand new scheme in our community. Your website offered us with helpful info to work on. You have performed a formidable activity and our whole neighborhood shall be grateful to you.

  159. Fitspresso reviews

    Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to mention that I have really loved browsing your weblog posts. In any case I’ll be subscribing in your rss feed and I’m hoping you write again very soon!

  190. boostaro

    Hello.This post was really remarkable, especially because I was looking for thoughts on this subject last couple of days.

  209. Fitspresso reviews

    Fitspresso is a brand-new natural weight loss aid designed to work on the root cause of excess and unexplained weight gain. The supplement uses an advanced blend of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support healthy weight loss by targeting the fat cells’ circadian rhythm

  247. sugar defender reviews

    sugar defender is a potent and effective way to support healthy blood sugar levels throughout the day. As your body adjusts to the ingredients, you’ll notice reduced hunger, increased energy, and improved blood sugar readings.

  308. G9 LED bulb

    I really appreciate this post. I?¦ve been looking all over for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You’ve made my day! Thanks again

  314. motos supermotard

    Hey! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having problems finding one? Thanks a lot!

  315. imiona i nazwiska angielskie

    What’s Going down i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I have discovered It absolutely helpful and it has helped me out loads. I’m hoping to contribute & assist other users like its helped me. Good job.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *