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The bronze statue, created by Birmingham artist Taranjit Singh, depicts a typical Sikh soldier who would have fought in World War 1. In a first, it was made using 3D design as opposed to traditional sculpting. It was unveiled on Sunday in the presence of members of the British Army, cadets, schoolchildren, police and the Sikh community. MPs Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Claudia Webbe also attended.
The statue now sits on a granite plinth in Victoria Park, close to the huge Arch of Remembrance, which was built to commemorate those from Leicester killed in WWI. The Arch of Remembrance was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens who designed swathes of New Delhi.
The idea of having such a statue in Leicester was envisaged by the late councillor Culdipp Singh Bhatti. A Sikh Troops War Memorial Committee was formed in 2015 to look at its feasibility.
That committee commissioned the statue, which was paid for by donations from Sikh congregations, the wider public and city council community ward funding.
Ajmer Singh Basra, president of the war memorial committee, said: “We are 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 statue will also serve as a reminder for Sikhs who have made Leicester their home since the 1950s. The Sikhs contributed on a major scale to various wars, notably the First and Second World Wars.“
Although accounting for less than 2% of the population of India, Sikhs made up more than 20% of the British Indian Army at the outbreak of the Great War.
Deputy city mayor Piara Singh Clair said: “It will provide a fitting tribute and a place where people can visit, reflect and remember Sikh soldiers who served in campaigns across the world under the British crown.”
Leicester-based historian Gurinder Singh Mann added the statue would serve as an educational tool for future generations.
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