UK’s First statue of Sikh Soldier unveiled

Named ‘The Lions of the Great War’, the monument honours the sacrifices made by South Asian service personnel who fought for Britain.

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The first ever full-sized statue of a Sikh soldier to be built in the UK has been unveiled.

The ‘Lions of the Great War‘ monument in Smethwick has been designed to commemorate 100 years since the end of World War One (WW1).

Hundreds of members of the public, as well as army and local government personnel, gathered to witness the grand unveiling of the prestigious monument.

The procession began with a commemorative parade down Smethwick High street, followed by a minute’s silence to honour fallen soldiers and speeches from those who had played a major role in creation of the monument.

A parade was led through Smethwick High Street before the unveiling of the Lions of the Great War statue

Soldiers from the premier Reservist Logistics regiment in the Midlands attended the unveiling on Sunday.

The 10ft-high bronze statue, which depicts a Sikh soldier from WW1, sits in its own public square in the town’s High Street, outside the Guru Nanak Gurdwara, which is the largest Sikh temple in Europe. The statue stands on a 6ft plinth with inscriptions on all four sides. These inscriptions include recognition of the centennial anniversary of the end of the Great War and the role of Sikhs in the British Army and wider society.

Jatinder Singh, President of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick honoured all soldiers across the commonwealth who contributed towards the Allied war effort

The Gurdwara president, Jatinder Singh, said: “We are so proud to be unveiling this memorial to honour the sacrifice of all those brave men who travelled thousands of miles to fight for a country that wasn’t their own.”

The community are very, very proud. They feel that the contribution of their ancestors or their forefathers has been recognised.

Country sculptor Luke Perry, which has been paid for by the local Sikh community.

Mr Perry said: “Great Britain owes much of its greatness to people whose history started in another land.”

Preet Kaur Gill, MP for the nearby Birmingham constituency of Edgbaston, is chairwoman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs.

“Despite being small in number in British India, Sikhs played an important part in the War, making up more than a fifth of the British Indian Army,” she said.

“This statue will serve as a reminder to those Sikh soldiers who sacrificed their lives in defence of democracy and in the fight for freedom.”

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