Exhibition to honour WW1 Indian soldiers held in Nairobi

The High Commission of India launched an exhibition to commemorate the participation and the role played by the Indian soldiers in East Africa during World War I between 1914 and 1918.

The event, which was held on Wednesday at the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi, was attended by the India High Commissioner to Kenya, Namgya Khampa.

India's Minister of State for External and Parliamentary Affairs, Vellamvelly Muraleedharam was the Chief Guest.

Research Scientist at the National Museums of Kenya, Purity Kiura, was also in attendance.

The exhibition is open for public viewing at the Asian Africa Heritage Gallery, National Museums of Kenya (NMK).

Another exhibition is scheduled to be held at Fort Jesus in Mombasa and Taita Taveta County.

Muraleedharam was pleased to inaugurate the exhibition, highlighting the bravery of Indian soldiers on the battlefields of Europe, Africa and other parts of the world.

"The gallant soldiers, since time immemorial did not merely bear arms but carried with them the hopes and inspirations of the nation," he said.

During the event, Muraleedharam also released a book titled The Indian Army in East Africa (1914–1918).

The book revisits the participation of India in the campaign in East Africa and their immense contribution towards the allied victory in the war.

On her part, Khampa said the story is worth telling and amplifying as the exhibition is an opportunity for people to learn about the hardships and the exceptional valour of sacrifice and loyalty.

In August 1914, India sent two expeditionary forces of more than 50,000 troops to fight in East Africa.

"More than a century ago, soldiers sailed from far away to uphold peace and fight a war not of their making. Nearly 3,000 Indian soldiers paid the ultimate sacrifice, while 2,000 were wounded and 43 went missing or taken as prisoners of war," Khampa said.

The voyage from India to Mombasa took 26 days at sea, covering a distance of 3,800 kilometers.

The soldiers used dhows which lacked comfort and privacy and also experienced terrifying storms.

Kiura, who was representing NMK director general Mary Gikungu, believes the sacrifices made by the soldiers helped Kenyans secure their freedom and a better future.

"The exhibition comes at an opportune time in our history with the realisation that there are many foreign soldiers that remain unhonoured, mostly those that fought during World War I," she added.

Armistice Day will be held in Taita Taveta County to mark WWI in a three-day event that will be attended by foreign diplomats from various European countries.

Scheduled for November 24–27, it will include the launch of the World War One Memorial Museum and the Education, Leadership and Innovation Institute.

Ishpal Oberoi, the great-grandson of Buloqi Singh Oberoi, one of the Indian soldiers who fought in World War I, narrated his great-grandfather's journey in the service, from being recruited by the British army to fighting in the Afghanistan War in 1918 and finally settling in Mombasa.

Now in their 5th generation, this makes the Oberoi family the oldest Sikh family to reside in Mombasa.