Memorial tribute to South Asian war heroes installed in Rochdale

The figures will be based on images by Mike Chappell published in The Indian Army 1914-1947 by Ian Sumner

A memorial to recognise more than 1.5 million South Asian people who fought for the British during the two world wars is due to be erected.

Two life-size metal figures will be displayed at the Rochdale Memorial Gardens in time for Remembrance Day.

One shows an Indian soldier wearing a traditional khaki uniform, while another is on horseback.

Some young British Asians believe those who supported the British Army have not been given enough recognition.

Kasim Ul-Haq, whose great-grandfather fought in Burma (now Myanmar) during World War Two, approached Rochdale Council with his father Asrar and asked them to support their idea.

He said he hoped the memorial will help connect young Asians with their British identity.

"I feel that a lot of young South Asians in particular may have had their identities decoupled from Britain and British history just because of the way history is taught," he added.

"It doesn't really look too much into the contribution of colonies and other parts of British Empire, it's generally a focus on British soldiers from England."

Kasim Ul-Haq hopes the figures will help to connect young Asians with their British identity

Sumayya Awan, a 19-year-old medical student from Altrincham in Greater Manchester, also thinks people like her grandfather are forgotten heroes.

"When you see media portraying people who fought in World War Two you don't think about South Asians or anyone else who fought under the British flag at the time," she said.

"There were millions who fought and I think even in television and history books you don't really see their representation."

More than 2.5 million Muslim, Sikh and Hindus manned the Indian Army and more than 89,000 Indians died during both global conflicts.

• Has India's contribution to WW2 been ignored?

Salford University historian Adam Prime said the South Asian contribution to the war effort could not be overestimated.

"The Indian Army were involved in every major battle during 1914 and 1915 before being heaving involved in the Middle East in particular," he said.

"During the Second World War they fought in South Africa and in Italy and played a humungous part in protecting India as the Japanese attacked through Burma."

A Rochdale Borough Council spokeswoman said the authority "did receive a proposal, but this has yet to go through the normal governance process".

"As such, no formal decision has been made at this time," she added.

Mr Ul Haq said the memorial organisers were "progressing the project through an informal process due to the time constraints leading to Remembrance Day commemorations".

"Now that the project has progressed they are proceeding formally to ensure all requisite conditions are met," he said.