Not the British, but Indian soldiers liberated us from Ottomans: Mayor of Israel's Haifa city

Haifa: The Israeli city of Haifa on Monday paid tributes to fallen Indian soldiers, with the Mayor noting that the city's school history books are being changed to correct that it was Indian troops and not the British who liberated the city from Ottoman rule.

“I was born in this city and graduated from here. Constantly we were told that this city was freed by the British till somebody from the Historical Society knocked at my door one day and said that they have done a thorough research and found that it wasn’t the British but the Indians who freed this city (from the Ottomans),” said Mayor of Haifa, Yona Yahav.

He made the remarks while addressing a gathering at the Indian cemetery of fallen soldiers during a ceremony to pay tributes to their bravery.

“In every school, we are changing the texts and saying that it wasn’t the British but the Indians who liberated us,” Yahav said.

During World War I, Indian cavalry regiments armed with spears and swords cleared the Ottoman forces from the rocky slopes of Mt Carmel under all odds to liberate the city, in what most war historians consider “the last great cavalry campaign in history”.

Mayor Yahav had, during the first ceremony at the same venue in 2009, said that the northern coastal city's history textbooks will include the story of its liberation by Indian soldiers, and it is today a well-known fact among youngsters in the city.

The Indian Army commemorates September 23 every year as Haifa Day to pay its respects to the three brave Indian Cavalry Regiments - Mysore, Hyderabad and Jodhpur Lancers - that helped liberate Haifa following a dashing cavalry action by the 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade on that date in 1918.

An event to pay tributes to the brave Indian soldiers is also organised every year at the Indian soldiers’ cemetery here by the Indian mission and the Haifa municipality.

Captain Aman Singh Bahadur and Dafadar Jor Singh were awarded the Indian Order of Merit (IOM), and Captain Anop Singh and 2nd Lt Sagat Singh were awarded the Military Cross (MC) in recognition of their bravery in this battle.

Major Dalpat Singh, widely popular as the Hero of Haifa, was awarded a military cross for his bravery.

The Jodhpur Lancers lost eight men and had 34 wounded in the battle. But they also captured over 700 prisoners, 17 field guns and 11 machine guns.

The battle was described as "almost the only occasion when a fortified town was captured by cavalry on the gallop," India’s Ambassador to Israel JP Singh said during his address at the event.

Indian troops played a crucial role in the campaign, resulting in the defeat of the Ottoman forces in the region. More than 74,000 Indian troops laid down their lives during World War I, including over 4,000 in West Asia, Singh asserted.

"It was one of the last classical cavalry actions in an era that saw large-scale mechanisation of war," the Indian Ambassador said.

"These fallen soldiers represented all major faiths and regions of our country. And this tribute shows that their courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten," he added.

In Israel, memorials to Indian soldiers exist at Haifa, Jerusalem and Ramle, including some Indian soldiers who were of Jewish descent.

About 900 Indian soldiers are interred in cemeteries in these cities of Israel.

As a tribute to the bravery of these soldiers, the Embassy of India, with the help of Israeli authorities, is setting up "The India Trail" in the Holy Land.

History textbooks in Haifa teach about the story of the liberation of Haifa by Indian soldiers from classes 3 to 5. The Haifa Historical Society has also been going around to schools in the city telling the story to youngsters over the last decade.

In a symbolic gesture of friendship with Israel, India renamed the iconic Teen Murti Chowk, a memorial erected in 1922 in New Delhi to commemorate this historic deed, as "Teen Murti Haifa Chowk" during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Delhi in January 2018.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Indian cemetery in Haifa during his visit to Israel in July 2017 and unveiled a plaque commemorating Major Dalpat Singh for his critical role in the liberation of the city.

"I am deeply honoured to stand here today to salute the valiant Indian soldiers, who laid down their lives for the liberation of Haifa during the WW I," Modi had written in the guest book.

The 61st cavalry, the name given to the unit created after the merger of the three cavalry units after independence, sent a contingent to Israel in 2018 to participate in the centenary celebrations.

The Israel Post had issued a commemorative stamp in 2018 in appreciation of the Indian soldiers' role in liberating the city.