Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, paid homage at a memorial which commemorates the lives of 4,742 Indian soldiers with no known grave who died during a British Army offensive at Neuve-Chapelle, in the Artois region.

Prince Charles paid homage at a memorial

Also present were children from a number of UK schools learning about the contributions of the many different ethnic communities who fought for the Allied cause.

A poem written by a Sikh soldier who served at Neuve-Chapelle was recited by Rasnam Singh, 10, who journeyed there with a Sikh delegation. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall listened to this and to a poem specially written by a pupil from a school in Leeds.

The royal couple then toured the memorial grounds meeting with veterans and representatives from Britain’s Hindu, Sikh and Muslim communities.

Prominent among the Sikh visitors were representatives of the Anglo Sikh Heritage Trail, whose party included Scottish Sikh music producers Tigerstyle.

Goodwill ambassadors for the organisation, Tigerstyle welcomed the opportunity to attend because they saw it as their duty to “preserve the memories of our forefathers who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Europe”.

Picture courtesy of the Prince of Wales website

In the months ahead the trail will emerge through research projects on sites and objects and a series of lectures, exhibitions, and workshops.

It will highlight many connections between Scotland and the Sikh nation which have hitherto largely gone unheeded.

The launch is heralded as a reminder that both nations, known for their courage, tenacity, industry and intelligence, have been historically intertwined by way of colonial administrators, statesmen and military figures across a momentous period of history from the late 1700s to the present.

The organisers declare that “the illustrious and unique heritage that the Sikhs and Scotland share will come to life through this initiative. It is our aspiration that it will help to inform, empower and inspire individuals and the community at large to a greater appreciation of the history that unites them”.

On Saturday, September 13th, the Anglo Sikh Heritage Trail (ASHT) launched this year’s Anglo Sikh Heritage Week.

The ASHT organisation is looking for volunteers to take its work forward. It wants to hear from people who can help develop a range of projects.

ASHT works to uncover, record and teach about the Anglo Sikh Heritage.

Volunteers are especially needed who can offer up to three days a week on website development and image research. This would be primarily at the ASHT office in Walsall in the West Midlands. But there is also a need for people who can undertake oral history interviews, support events and help with research in a variety of locations. Volunteers will benefit from training as they gain experience.

Further information can be obtained by calling 01922 721 504, emailing gsb@asht.info or visiting the ASHT website at www.asht.info

ASHT is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and has links with a variety of museums and heritage organisations including the Imperial War Museum, National Trust and Victoria and Albert Museum.

–

You can also read ‘On the trail of the Sikh heritage’ on the BBC website

Preconceptions of the Punjab are as varied as the extraordinary mix of peoples
who have made their homes there.

Now, the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers (IBG) is shining a light on the land with The Punjab: Moving Journeys, an exhibition that reveals its little-seen history through the unique perspective of the Society’s Collections.
The ties that link London and Bradford to the borders of India and Pakistan become clearer.

It is the last exhibition in the Society’s Crossing Continents series, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and developed with the UK Punjab Heritage Association, the Muslim Women’s Welfare Association (Ilford), Cartwright Hall Young Ambassadors (Bradford) and the Anglo Sikh Heritage Trail.

Through the society’s 19th century photographs, maps and texts the Punjab’s history has been rediscovered and retold by members of Britain’s Punjabi community, focusing on migrations within and across borders, from early history, through Partition and into the 21st Century.

There are also accounts from British visitors and colonial administrators in the Punjab during the 19th century. The exhibition places the region’s complex history alongside the challenges facing Punjabis in 21st century Britain, including how they relate to their British adoptive home and an Indian/Pakistani homeland.

The show runs at the society’s headquarters in South Kensington until November 27, Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm. Admission is free.

Touring exhibitions will result from Crossing Continents: Connecting Communities. It is a three-year project using RGS-IBG archives to explore the roots of contemporary British society, including the contributions of African, Chinese, Sikh and Muslim communities.
More information at www.unlockingthearchives.rgs.org

The Royal Geographical Society with The Institute of British Geographers was founded in 1830.