The Khanda Poppy Tribute

Kalwinder Singh Dhindsa, an author and poet from Derby, approached the Royal British Legion in 2010, after visiting the nearby National Memorial Arboretum with his cousin. He was visiting to commemorate Gian Singh VC,  who Kalwinder had a strong emotional connection with. Gian Singh was from the same Indian village, Sahabpur, as Kalwinder’s mother. He recalls fond memories of his father referring to Gian Singh as “Victoria” and even meeting Gian as a very young boy. Kalwinder’s father passed away in 2006 and by honouring the memory of Gian, for him it was a way to also honour his father.

Observing that there were tributes for other faiths but not for the Sikh community, he wrote to the Royal British Legion and asked if he could design one that could be used to commemorate the service of Sikh members of the Armed Forces.

The Khanda Poppy Tribute he devised is a representation of two powerful symbols – the Khanda, a Sikh religious emblem, and the poppy,

The Khanda represents various aspects of Sikh philosophy, including spirituality, courage and the pursuit of justice and symbolises the core principles of Sikhism, such as righteousness, protection of the weak and the struggle against injustice.

The poppy, on the other hand, is associated with Remembrance of those who have served and who have lost their lives from the First World War to present day conflicts. Its symbolism was inspired by the famous poem “In Flanders Fields” by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, where he described poppies growing in battle-scarred fields in 1915.

The Khanda Tribute is displayed on special occasions or Remembrance events to commemorate the service and sacrifice of Sikh men and women of the Armed Forces.

Kalwinder actively commemorates members of the Armed Forces and organised the fundraising for the Alvaston Falklands Memorial Bench to remember six Derbyshire personnel who died in the conflict, which was unveiled in June 2023.