Polish youth retrace WWII roots in India under government exchange initiative
New Delhi: Twenty young Polish nationals, descendants of Polish children who were sheltered in India during World War II, visited Balachadi in Jamnagar and Valivade near Kolhapur under the Jamsaheb Memorial Youth Exchange Programme this February. The initiative was facilitated by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Poland last year.
The delegation of young people the grandchildren of Polish refugees who, during the 1940s, found refuge in India having been displaced from their places by the war. Some 1,000 Polish children had been received by Maharaja Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja of the then princely state of Nawanagar, now part of Gujarat, in 1942. As Nazi and Soviet troops occupied Poland and the Polish government-in-exile in London was searching for a safe haven for its children, the Maharaja had welcomed them to his doors by setting up a camp at Balachadi.
Planned with the assistance of one of the earliest Polish child refugees, Wieslaw Stypula, the group toured the Balachadi memorial. Two of his grandchildren, Arkadiusz Michałowski (28) and Kasia Michalowska (25), were part of the group that toured. The memorial statue shows a figure representing Mother India, holding an Indian child in her arms and hugging a Polish child, showing India's part in providing shelter during the war.
During the visit, delegates recalled stories shared by their grandparents about their time in India. The Polish children had engaged in scouting, music, and cultural exchanges, and celebrated festivals such as Christmas with local adaptations. The Maharaja, popularly known as "Bapu" to the children, used to send them presents on occasions.
Barbara Gutowska (22), a granddaughter of Roman Gutowski, another survivor of the Balachadi camp, said the visit was an emotional experience and that she had heard tales all her life of India and the Maharaja's protection.
The delegation also toured the Polish camp compound in Valivade, Kolhapur, that had accommodated more Polish refugees. Bartosz Jezierski (17), whose grandfather Andrzej Jezierski was one of those who had been hosted there, visited the memorial museum.
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Strict security measures in place in Mumbai for Messi's events at 2 venues Dec 14, say police
Mumbai (PTI): In view of Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai on Sunday, the city police are implementing stringent security measures, like not allowing water bottles, metals, coins inside the stadiums and setting up watchtowers to keep an eye on the crowd, officials said.
The police also said taking extra care to avoid any stampede-like situation and to prevent recurrence of the chaotic situation that unfolded in Kolkata during Messi's visit on Saturday as thousands of fans protested inside the Salt Lake stadium here after failing to catch a clear glimpse of the football icon despite paying hefty sums for tickets.
Messi is expected to be present at the Cricket Club of India (Brabourne Stadium) in Mumbai on Sunday for a Padel GOAT Cup event followed by attending a celebrity football match. He is expected to proceed to the Wankhede Stadium for the GOAT India Tour main event around 5 pm.
"In view of Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai, the police are geared up and have put in place a high level of security arrangements in and around the stadiums located in south Mumbai. Considering the chaos that prevailed in Kolkata and the security breach, we have deployed World Cup-level security arrangements at Brabourne and Wankhede stadiums," an official said.
Expecting heavy crowd near the stadiums during Messi's visit, the city police force has deployed more than 2,000 of its personnel near and around both the venues, he said.
As the Mumbai police have the experience of security 'bandobast' during the victory parade of ICC World Cup-winning Indian team and World Cup final match at the Wankhede Stadium, in which over one lakh cricket fans had gathered, we are prepared to handle a large crowd of fans, he said.
"We are trying to avoid the errors that occurred in the past," the official said.
There is no place to sneak inside the stadiums in Mumbai like the Kolkata stadium, according to him.
The police are also asking the organisers to provide all the required facilities to the fans inside the stadium, so that there will be no chaos, he said, adding the spectators have purchased tickets in the range of Rs 5,000 to 25,000. After paying so much of amount, any spectator expects proper services, while enjoying the event, he said.
The police are expecting 33,000 spectators at the Wankhede Stadium and over 4,000 at Brabourne Stadium. Besides this, more than 30,000 people are expected outside and around the stadiums just to have a glimpse of the football sensation, he said.
The organisers responsible for Messi's India visit recently came to Mumbai to discuss security arrangements. During the meeting, the Mumbai police asked them not to take the event lightly, according to the official.
After those requirements were fulfilled, the final security deployment was chalked out, he said.
Police has the standard procedure of the security arrangements inside the Wankhede Stadium, where people are barred from taking water bottles, metals objects, coins. Police are setting up watch towers near the stadiums and there will be traffic diversions, so that there is maximum space available to stand, according to the official.
Police are also appealing to the spectators to use public transport service for commuting and avoid personal vehicles to reach south Mumbai.
To avoid any stampede-like situation, police are also taking precautionary measures and will stop the fans some distance ahead of the stadium and public announcement systems will be used to guide the crowd. Barricades will be placed at various places to manage the crowd.
In case the crowd swells up beyond expectation, the police will divert people to other grounds and preparations in this regard underway, he said.
Additional police force has been deployed in south Mumbai to tackle any kind of situation, he said.
