Plan to honour Sikh war dead with 6ft statue

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The applicants say it’s time for the contribution of Sikh soldiers to be formally recognised.

They say: “While most projects are started by industry experts and those with large grants, the memorial was started by members of the local Kirklees community.

“Presently, Remembrance Day ceremonies are a central event in the British calendar.

“The cenotaphs are an important site in bringing people together to remember the contributions made by British soldiers.

“The Sikh community is a fringe community among Asians in the UK yet their cultural impact has been profound, especially in the military.

“This memorial is an opportunity to give the Sikh community in Kirklees and the north of England a site to commemorate their heritage.”

The Yorkshire Sikh Forum has declared its backing for having a memorial in Huddersfield.

It stated: “We wholeheartedly support this project which we believe will promote mutual understanding and communal harmony between various communities in the Kirklees area.”

Documents submitted with the planning application say members of the Sikh community have been in discussions with the council over where the statue could go and who would maintain it.

The applicants say they consider the design to be sympathetic with the surroundings of the historic park site which contains Huddersfield’s largest war memorial.

Approximately 90,000 Sikhs voluntarily enlisted to support the British war effort over the course of the war.

These soldiers would see service on all British campaigns from the Western Front in France to the Eastern Front in Gallipoli.

World War Two was no different as four Victoria Crosses were awarded to Sikhs.

Over the two world wars 83,005 Sikh soldiers were killed in action and a further 109,045 were wounded.