The statue is to honour Sikh Soldiers who came forward to serve Britain during various Military campaigns since the middle of the eighteenth century through to their involvement in World War 1 (1914-1918) and World War 2 (1939 to 1945). Many Sikhs joined the British Indian Army after the Anglo Sikh Wars which took place during 1845-146 and 1848-1848. It was during this time that they displayed their martial prowess which was recognised by the British. Many different Sikh Regiments were formed including the 14th and 15th Sikhs, 45th Rattray’ Sikhs as well as the Sikhs forming part of different regiments. The Sikh contribution to the British Indian Army was disproportionate to their population in the Indian Subcontinent.

 

 

At the beginning of the World War 1, Sikh military personnel numbered around 35,000 men of the 161,000 troops of the Indian Army, around 22% of the armed forces, yet the Sikhs only made up less than 2% of the total Indian population. Sikhs have received the Indian Order of Merit (IOM) as well as the Victoria Cross (VC) for their sacrifices to the UK. To this day they form part of the British Army in various occupations. To commemorate the sacrifices of the Sikhs we are looking to create a Sikh Soldier statue at the heart of Leicester.

 

This will all help to foster good relations between Sikhs and non-Sikhs in the city. Together with ensuring the Sikh community feels a sense of representation in the UK.

The statue will be located at Victoria Park, Leicester. It will complement the existing war memorials at the Park. The proposed land has been allocated by the Leicester City Council. Work on the project has been ongoing for several years. The committee have already spent around £4,000 to get the statue through from the drawing stage, through the planning phase and the evaluation of the selected site.

The memorial cost around £75,000. The costs covered:

*Artist costs- The creation of the Maquette. Design, molding and delivery to foundry.
*Foundry costs-Mould, casting and finishing. Creation of the base, delivery and installation

We have received community contributions for the statue. The project is supported by the Gurdwaras of Leicestershire, Leicester City Council, The British Royal Legion, The British Army and many other organisations in the city and nationally.