The National Memorial Arboretum
Exploring some of the memorials with South Asian connections at the year-round centre for Remembrance.
© South Asian Heritage Trust | All Rights Reserved
The Poppy Shop is the official online charity shop of the Royal British Legion. It offers a wide range of items, the sale of which goes towards its work supporting the Armed Forces community. Many items are related to Remembrance, including faith-based poppy tributes. One example is the Khanda Poppy Tribute, and its origin is a fascinating story.
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.
“If you don’t share stories, they will be forgotten, and it’s not fair on their loved ones. Sometimes those who are bereaved think that people don’t care about their loved ones, but sometimes it’s just because people didn’t know, so I want to show off Derby’s history and heritage.”
-Kalwinder Singh Dhindsa
Poppy Tributes are available on the Poppy Shop website:
Exploring some of the memorials with South Asian connections at the year-round centre for Remembrance.
An aviation enthusiast’s special mission to honour a Second World War agent in occupied France.
The Indian Army Memorial Room stands as a tribute to the rich history and enduring spirit of the Indian soldiers of the British Indian Army.
The Chattri Memorial honours the 53 men (37 Hindu and 16 Sikh) of the Indian Army who died of their wounds and illnesses obtained whilst serving on the Western Front from 1914 to 1915.
The first of the Trust’s projects is the South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM), which first took place in 2020 and runs from the 18th of July to the 17th of August each year.
SAHM seeks to commemorate, mark and celebrate South Asian cultures, histories, and communities.
It seeks to understand the diverse heritage and cultures that continue to link the UK with South Asia.
© South Asian Heritage Trust | All Rights Reserved
