Arriving in Warsaw for the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the country in 45 years, Modi was accompanied to the site of the ‘Good Maharaja’ by relatives of some of the 1,000 Polish children who had been deported to the USSR by Soviet forces following the outbreak of WWII.
To commemorate the little-known story linking the two countries, Modi lay a wreath on the memorial before posting on X: “Humanity and compassion are vital foundations of a just and peaceful world.
“The Jam Saheb of Nawanagar Memorial in Warsaw highlights the humanitarian contribution of Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja, who ensured shelter as well as care to Polish children left homeless due to the Second World War.
“Jam Saheb is fondly remembered in Poland as Dobry Maharaja.”
Agnieszka Michałowska, whose mother had spent six years in India after being given refuge there, told AFP news agency: “For all the children in the camp, the maharaja was a substitute father.”
She added that “he simply gave them peace, stability and a sense of security.”
Becoming Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar in 1933, following the outbreak of WWII, Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja set up the Polish Children’s Camp in India’s western state of Gurajat for refugee children released from the USSR.
After Hitler attacked the USSR, Stalin had sided with the Allies and, under pressure from the British government, was forced to free the Poles who had been exiled to Siberia.
India was the first country to offer refuge, and maharaja of Nawanagar ordered the building of the camp close to his summer estate on the Arabian Sea.
Managed by Poles, the maharaja also organized cooks from Goa who could cook European cuisine, often visited the camp with his wife and children, and attended theater plays by the Polish children who referred to him as Bapu – father.
He also ensured that it was a truly Polish settlement, with a national flag, a school, a church and Polish scouts.
When the war ended, to save the children from being sent back to Poland, which had fallen under occupation by Stalin’s communists, the maharaja and two other camp leaders adopted 200 of the children.
Other children were sent to the largest camp for Polish refugees in India, the Valivade Camp, where they found shelter.
The maharaja died in 1966 at the age of 70.
Following Modi’s visit to the maharaja’s memorial site on Wednesday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs posted on its website: “The Prime Minister’s visit to the memorial highlights a special historical connection between India and Poland that continues to be cherished by the people of the two countries.”
