Less is known and documented about this event that happened during WWII. When the entire world was fighting against fascist forces, this Indian king helped hundreds of Polish Children escape the uncertain situations back home. A 2013 documentary by Sumit Osmand Shaw called Little Poland in India is one of the rare sources that talks about this event in detail.
In 1939, the Nazi Reich and the Soviet Union attacked Poland as a part of their expansionist policies. The national life of the Poles was destroyed by the Nazi’s extermination policy and by the USSR’s intervention. The combined strike utterly destroyed the nation and orphaned thousands of kids. Then, these orphans were forcibly moved to filthy orphanages in the Soviet Union, where many of them perished from disease, malnutrition, and famine. Due to these circumstances, the Soviet Union finally granted amnesty in 1941, allowing the orphans to leave the country and seek safety elsewhere. Most of the ports that the orphaned children’s ships attempted to enter as they sailed through Iran on their way to Bombay turned them away when they departed the Soviet Union. No nation wanted to take responsibility during the difficult times.
The king of the princely state of Nawanagar, Maharaja Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja, heard about the children’s situation when the ship docked in Mumbai’s port called Rosie. The Maharaja intervened and offered to give the kids home in his town despite the wishes of the British in India, who were not interested in receiving the kids. The benevolent king subsequently started constructing the Balachadi camp for the kids, which is located around 25 kilometers outside of Jamnagar. The camp housed more than 60 structures, including a church, laundry facilities, a stage for Polish cultural performances, a community centre and sports fields. The kids received food, clothing, and medical attention. Polish books were provided in a special library so they could stay in touch with their culture. To supply them with “identical” Polish food, the King even brought cooks from Goa. The kids participated in hockey, football, volleyball, and even camping. The Maharaja also turned a part of his palace into a school to educate the kids. Many children testified that the four years they spent there from 1916 to 1946 were the best of their lives. After the war ended, most of the children returned to their homes or other Commonwealth nations.
The king internationally recognized as a famous cricketer said to the Polish children ‘Do not consider yourself as an orphan anymore, you are now Nawanagar’s and I am your Bapu, father of all Nawanagar’s people and yours too’.
The benevolent King is still recognized in Poland and has not been forgotten. The Polish President presented him with the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit posthumously. The renowned Warsaw Bednarska High School has added the Maharaja as an honorary patron. In 2013, the Polish government officially opened Warsaw’s “Good Maharaja Square.”
Maharaja Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja of Nawanagar rescued these children when India was facing brutal colonial power, financial crunch and famines. The Maharaja without the help from the then colonial government in India helped around 640 Polish children and women. He was a father figure to those kids. This might be one of the notice-worthy incidents of Indians being hospitable (Athithi Devo Bhaba) when the Maharaja left no stone unturned to make a camp in Balachadi, Gujarat for the refugees and make them feel at home.
GALLERY
Maharaja Digvijaysinjhi Ranjitsinjhi Jadeja of Nawanagar with Polish kids.
Source : https://www.polishfilmla.org/a-little-poland-in-india/
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Rajan, Ravi. “The Indian King Who Saved 1,000 Polish Children in World War II.” Owlcation. Owlcation, October 4, 2021. https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Indian-King-Who-Saved-1000-Polish-Children-in-World-War-II .
“Indian Maharaja Who Saved Hundred of Polish People during WW2 When the World Refused to Help.” IndiaTimes, September 11, 2021. https://www.indiatimes.com/trending/social-relevance/maharaja-jam-saheb-digvijaysinhji-and-world-war-ii-polish-refugees-story-549242.html .
Robbins, Kenneth X. “The Camp for Polish Refugee Children at Balachadi Nawanagar.” The Journal of Indo-Judaic Studies , n.d.
AakaarFilms. “A Little Poland in India (English) – the Complete Documentary.” YouTube. YouTube, November 22, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIPq-8RZxxM .
