Recognise our WWI sacrifices: Apshinge Military villagers

To commemorate the centenary of World War I in 2014, the United Kingdom (UK) is planning a ceremony to remember soldiers from Commonwealth countries who sacrificed their lives while fighting for Britain. Families from Apshinge Military village in Satara district are keeping a close watch on the event as 46 soldiers from this village sacrificed their lives during World War I. The villagers are trying to establish contact with the UK government to get recognition to these slain soldiers. 

Apshinge Military is a small village in Satara district but it has historical significance as at least one member of every family in the village has served or is serving in the armed forces. The contribution of the village was recognised by the British government, which installed a memorial in the village in the memory of 46 soldiers who laid down their lives fighting for Britain during World War I. 

Now as the UK government is planning to honour such soldiers, the villagers from Apshinge Military seek recognition for the memorial at the national level. Brig (retd) Mohan Nikam from the village, who took the initiative, told dna, “There were 1.2 million soldiers from undivided India who participated in World War I. Nearly 74,000 soldiers lost their lives fighting for the British Empire. Now since the war will be completing 100 years in 2014, UK is planning to honour family members of those Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during the war. We from Apshinge Military village also want that the UK government should take cognisance of the sacrifices made by our villagers.”

On Independence Day, the villagers passed a resolution in the gram sabha to take up the issue of getting recognition for the memorial at the national level. They have also taken up the issue with the state government. Nikam said, “We will be requesting the state government to take up the issue of giving national recognition to the memorial at the Central government level so that on the 100th year of World War I, an event in the memory of the slain soldiers can be organised.”

The villagers are also approaching the UK government. “I have written to some officials in the UK, informing them about the memorial installed in our village by the British officers during pre-Independence era and they should recognise this memorial,” Nikam said.

The villagers have started compiling all available documents with them and want to set up a museum for documents and medals from the British era. “We have found some nine to ten families that have documents from the British era. We have circulated a form which all villagers have to fill up giving details of what documents they have from the British era. We plan to preserve these in the proposed museum,” Nikam added.