Lest we forget
"They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.At the going down of the sun, and in the morning We will remember them. Lest we forget."
For New Zealanders and Australians around the world, today was a solemn day of remembrance. Anzac day commemorates the first landing of their troops at Anzac cove in Gallipoli on the 25th of April 1915.
And ever year on this day, scores of Kiwis come together at war memorials across the country to remember the sacrifices made by previous generations of war veterans and especially those who lost their lives on the battlefields abroad.
I attended my local Anzac day parade and it was a very poignant ceremony. Attendances at these services including the dawn services seem to have had record highs. This year, at Gallipoli around 18,000 people are estimated to have attended the dawn service. Anzac day is the one day, that is of perhaps the greatest significance for New Zealanders and 92 years on, it’s heartening to see them keep the tradition alive.
At the risk of sounding over dramatic, you have to applaud the sacrifices made by the people of this country. Over 100,000 NZ troops served in the First World War – that is 1/10th of it’s total population. In terms of density of the population, New Zealand suffered the most casualties of any other nation in the World Wars. So, this is a very personal and significant event for Kiwis as almost everyone has a grandfather or great grandfather who served in the Wars.
Growing up in India, I can’t recall any special day that honours the bravery of Indian soldiers who have fought many a war. My high school history books made a few references to the World Wars but somehow it always seemed like something that happened in Europe and there was little emphasis placed on the actual impact that the war had on India. By the time of the Second World War, India was on the threshold of Independence from Britain and so history seems to have made heroes of the politicians and social leaders who spearheaded Indian Independence and who shaped the nation. The fallen war heroes were only even mentioned in casual passing. At least that’s the way I remember it.
Anzac day meant virtually nothing to me, till I came to live in New Zealand. I attended Anzac services out of a sense of social consciousness and empathy for the country I had adopted as my new home. That is until I visited the Scottish War Memorial in Edinburgh last year. One of the record books there contained names of soldiers who fought and died in Gallipoli. And I began to read the names I discovered that many Indian soldiers too fought and died along side the Kiwi and Australian forces in Gallipoli. Of course, it was not a surprising discovery, as I knew that Indian soldiers fought in the Wars. But somehow, reading those names, just brought home the simple fact, that men from different parts of the world, speaking different languages, were called upon to fight side by side and sacrifice themselves in the pursuit of the freedom we now enjoy. And suddenly, Anzac day implied a new, very personal significance for me.
And ever year on this day, scores of Kiwis come together at war memorials across the country to remember the sacrifices made by previous generations of war veterans and especially those who lost their lives on the battlefields abroad.
I attended my local Anzac day parade and it was a very poignant ceremony. Attendances at these services including the dawn services seem to have had record highs. This year, at Gallipoli around 18,000 people are estimated to have attended the dawn service. Anzac day is the one day, that is of perhaps the greatest significance for New Zealanders and 92 years on, it’s heartening to see them keep the tradition alive.
At the risk of sounding over dramatic, you have to applaud the sacrifices made by the people of this country. Over 100,000 NZ troops served in the First World War – that is 1/10th of it’s total population. In terms of density of the population, New Zealand suffered the most casualties of any other nation in the World Wars. So, this is a very personal and significant event for Kiwis as almost everyone has a grandfather or great grandfather who served in the Wars.
Growing up in India, I can’t recall any special day that honours the bravery of Indian soldiers who have fought many a war. My high school history books made a few references to the World Wars but somehow it always seemed like something that happened in Europe and there was little emphasis placed on the actual impact that the war had on India. By the time of the Second World War, India was on the threshold of Independence from Britain and so history seems to have made heroes of the politicians and social leaders who spearheaded Indian Independence and who shaped the nation. The fallen war heroes were only even mentioned in casual passing. At least that’s the way I remember it.
Anzac day meant virtually nothing to me, till I came to live in New Zealand. I attended Anzac services out of a sense of social consciousness and empathy for the country I had adopted as my new home. That is until I visited the Scottish War Memorial in Edinburgh last year. One of the record books there contained names of soldiers who fought and died in Gallipoli. And I began to read the names I discovered that many Indian soldiers too fought and died along side the Kiwi and Australian forces in Gallipoli. Of course, it was not a surprising discovery, as I knew that Indian soldiers fought in the Wars. But somehow, reading those names, just brought home the simple fact, that men from different parts of the world, speaking different languages, were called upon to fight side by side and sacrifice themselves in the pursuit of the freedom we now enjoy. And suddenly, Anzac day implied a new, very personal significance for me.
So now, I chose to remember to pay my tributes, to express my gratitude...lest I forget.
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