New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the monument of Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja of Nawanagar at the Square of the Good Maharaja in Warsaw, Poland on Wednesday. PM Modi’s Poland visit comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe, particularly due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. PM Modi is likely to interact with the Indian community, business leaders and prominent endologists.
On the first day of his Poland visit, PM Modi also laid a wreath on the memorial at the monument Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja. Poland, a key NATO ally and frontline state in this crisis, has emerged as a pivotal player in regional security. He will hold a meeting with Poland’s counterpart Donald Tusk and will also call on President Andrzej Duda. The two leaders will discuss a range of aspects of bilateral ties including political, trade, economic, investments, education, culture, people-to-people exchange and others.
How is Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja connected to Polish people?
In 1942, as Europe lurched on the brink of chaos, Jam Saheb defied danger, risking his own safety to provide refuge to these vulnerable children. His generosity extended beyond his own palace walls, with the village of Valivade in Maharashtra offering further relief to the Polish families and children until their reunion with loved ones.
The Maharaja’s extraordinary act of kindness, which saw him offer shelter and a haven to over 1000 Polish children escaping the horrors of war-torn Poland and Soviet camps, has left an indelible mark on the India-Poland ties. Polish families and young children were reunited with their families.
Celebrating the enduring bond between the two nations
In 2012, India and Poland signed a film co-production agreement and jointly made a film titled “A Little Poland in India” about the Polish refugee children in India and Jam Saheb’s exceptional gesture of generosity. The film was premiered in India and Poland in late 2013.
When was the monument of Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja unveiled?
A monument commemorating Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja of Nawanagar was unveiled on 31 October 2014 at the Square of the Good Maharaja, Ochota District, Warsaw, Poland. The event was organised by the Polish Council for Protection of Memory of Combat and Martyrdom and the Mayor of Ochota District. The ceremony, which was opened with the national anthems of India and Poland, was attended by Andrzej Kunert, Minister for Protection of Memory of Combat and Martyrdom, Mayor of Ochota, the Poles from India Association, representatives of various ministries, students from Jam Saheb School, Warsaw, and schools from the Ochota district. Ambassador Monika Kapil Mohta along with officers of the embassy attended the event and laid a wreath at the monument as a mark of respect to the shared history of friendship and compassion between India and Poland.