Monument in Versailles in honour of two Indian Maharajas! Poland did not forget their favour during the Second World War

New Delhi: The world often remembers the favors done. Poland has also shown the same sense of gratitude towards India. Now the Prime Minister Narendra Modi While going on a tour to Poland, he/she will also visit the memorial that expresses this feeling of Poland. The ‘Good Maharaja Square’ in the Polish capital Versailles is a memorial that tells the story of India’s favor to Poland during the Second World War. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay tribute to this memorial.

Why is the Maharaja of Nawanagar respected in Poland?

The Good Maharaja Square of Versailles was built to pay tribute to Maharaja Jam Saheb Digvijiy Singh Ji Ranjit Singh Ji, the then ruler of Nawanagar in India. The Maharaja of Nawanagar had given protection to a group of thousands of children from Poland. The Second World War lasted from 1939 to 1945. Poland was devastated by enemy countries in that war. Then the ruler of Nawanagar Jam Saheb Digvijiy Singh Ji Ranjit Singh Ji and Maharaja Shrimant Rajshree Chhatrapati Sahu of Kolhapur had given shelter to about 5,000 citizens of Poland. These Polish citizens were under the protection of both the Maharajas from 1942 to 1946.

Know that story of World War II

In Poland, the Maharaja of Nawanagar was especially praised because he/she was the first to decide to shelter 1,000 Polish children. Those children were released from the labor camps of the Soviet Union. Those children could not return to their war-ravaged country Poland. Then the Maharaja of Nawanagar gave them shelter. At the beginning of the Second World War, Poland was divided into two parts under an agreement between Russia and Germany. Actually, Russia and Germany had made this agreement to divide Europe into their respective parts. After the partition of Poland, many Polish families were brought to labor colonies from the part occupied by the Soviet Union.

However, by 1941 it became clear that the Russo-German pact would not last and that the resistance army in Poland would be strengthened with Russian help. Moscow decided to free some of the prisoners and their families. The Maharaja of Nawanagar was the first to offer them refuge. However, many Polish children and other refugees also went to other parts of the world.

Poland helped India in the Russia-Ukraine war

Look at the cycle of time. When the Russia-Ukraine war started on 20 February 2022, many students of India got stuck in Ukraine. They were not able to find any way to get out. Then the Indian government talked to the Polish government. The days of the Second World War were also discussed in this conversation. Poland then helped a lot in evacuating Indian students from Ukraine.