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A real Maharaja
The COVID 19 pandemic has throws lives of many people into disarray across the world. And sadly, in India, migrant worker communities have become like refugees in their own country. As we continue to grapple with the situation and come to terms with how to help rebuild the lives of those affected by this calamity, it will be timely to see how, several decades back, this country and one of its Kings welcomed with open arms refugees from a different nation, created a home for them (and not a camp), while they were themselves dealing with drought and famine.
The hero of this week's episode of Masala History is Digvijaysinghi Ranjitsinghji Jadeja of Nawanagar (modern day Jamnagar). In the year 1933, he succeeded Raja Ranjitsinghji, the illustrious cricketer, as the "Maharaja Jam Saheb" (King) of Nawanagar.
In 1942 600+ children and few women, mostly orphans left Polish shores in multiple small ships hoping for a refuge in some friendly country. The children were not welcome in any city/country they tried gaining entry into - not just in Europe, but even Africa. The Jam Saheb asked the ships to dock at Rosi, a port that fell under his province. When the ships anchored, he welcomed the 600 children and 40 women with open arms saying "you aren't a refugee here. You are Nawanagarians and this is your home".
Maharaja Digvijaysinghi was clear that none of the people who were in the camp were to be treated like refugees. He is known to have said in an interview to a Polish weekly "Maybe there, in the beautiful hills beside the seashore, the children will be able to recover their health and to forget the ordeal they went through…". And he didn't offer just lip service but walked the walk and treated the kids with dignity. In 1946, post World War II when the children were rehabilitated back to Poland by the United Nations, they proudly address Raja Digvijaysinghji as the "Polish Maharajah Jam Saheb". His act of generosity is saluted even today in Poland, where he was posthumously award the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit. There is also a ‘Good Maharaja Square’ in Warsaw celebrating him. In 2018, few of the survivors from the Balachadi camp, paid a visit to the very place where they lived and called as home for 4+ years for a highly emotional and nostalgic get-together.
Read the full story at fb.me/masalahistorybysiva or listen to the story in Google podcasts, Apple podcasts & Spotify. (A full list of platforms where Masala History is available can be found at linktr.ee/masalahistory . Don't forget to subscribe!).
#masalahistory #history #historybuff #historynerd #nawanagar #jamnagar #poland #worldwar2 #worldwar #refugee #goodmaharaja #warsaw #britishindia #podcast
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By Sivakumar Sethuraman
5
11 ratings
The COVID 19 pandemic has throws lives of many people into disarray across the world. And sadly, in India, migrant worker communities have become like refugees in their own country. As we continue to grapple with the situation and come to terms with how to help rebuild the lives of those affected by this calamity, it will be timely to see how, several decades back, this country and one of its Kings welcomed with open arms refugees from a different nation, created a home for them (and not a camp), while they were themselves dealing with drought and famine.
The hero of this week's episode of Masala History is Digvijaysinghi Ranjitsinghji Jadeja of Nawanagar (modern day Jamnagar). In the year 1933, he succeeded Raja Ranjitsinghji, the illustrious cricketer, as the "Maharaja Jam Saheb" (King) of Nawanagar.
In 1942 600+ children and few women, mostly orphans left Polish shores in multiple small ships hoping for a refuge in some friendly country. The children were not welcome in any city/country they tried gaining entry into - not just in Europe, but even Africa. The Jam Saheb asked the ships to dock at Rosi, a port that fell under his province. When the ships anchored, he welcomed the 600 children and 40 women with open arms saying "you aren't a refugee here. You are Nawanagarians and this is your home".
Maharaja Digvijaysinghi was clear that none of the people who were in the camp were to be treated like refugees. He is known to have said in an interview to a Polish weekly "Maybe there, in the beautiful hills beside the seashore, the children will be able to recover their health and to forget the ordeal they went through…". And he didn't offer just lip service but walked the walk and treated the kids with dignity. In 1946, post World War II when the children were rehabilitated back to Poland by the United Nations, they proudly address Raja Digvijaysinghji as the "Polish Maharajah Jam Saheb". His act of generosity is saluted even today in Poland, where he was posthumously award the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit. There is also a ‘Good Maharaja Square’ in Warsaw celebrating him. In 2018, few of the survivors from the Balachadi camp, paid a visit to the very place where they lived and called as home for 4+ years for a highly emotional and nostalgic get-together.
Read the full story at fb.me/masalahistorybysiva or listen to the story in Google podcasts, Apple podcasts & Spotify. (A full list of platforms where Masala History is available can be found at linktr.ee/masalahistory . Don't forget to subscribe!).
#masalahistory #history #historybuff #historynerd #nawanagar #jamnagar #poland #worldwar2 #worldwar #refugee #goodmaharaja #warsaw #britishindia #podcast