A Zoom talk by Sukwinder Singh Bassi. He is the British born son of Sikh parents from the Punjab. He developed his research and analytical experience, working in health informatics for England's health and social care regulator. He has a passionate interest in military and social history, both of the Great War and Sikh heritage. On a battlefield visit to Flanders in 2014, he was transfixed by the rows and rows of Sikh names at the Indian Memorial in Neuve Chapelle and on the Menin Gate in Ypres. He decided there and then that he would find out as much as possible about the people who had come thousands of miles to fight in Europe.
'Thousands of Heroes Have Arisen' The fighting prowess of the Sikh nation, and their martial tradition, is legendary. As soldiers, they were in great demand. They enlisted in disproportionate numbers: although fewer than 2% of the Indian population, in 1914, they made up 20% of the British Indian Army. Sikhs fought in every arena of the war, contributing over 100,000 men by 1918.
Based on the book of the same name, this talk seeks to immerse the listener in the Sikh experience of the Great War years.
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89670059660?pwd=dVp1cDFIdjJCMjBKWGZEZnQrOFpyUT09