Belgium organizes wreath-laying ceremony remembering sacrifice of Indian soldiers during WWI, WWII
Apr 30, 2022
Brussels [Belgium], April 30 : As part of India's 75 years of Independence or 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav Celebrations', Indian Embassy in Brussels and local Belgium Government officials organized special wreath-laying ceremonies to remember the gallant Indian Army troops who sacrificed their lives during World War 1 and World War 2.
India had contributed 1,40,000 Indian Army troops during WWI and II for France and Belgium. Out of these 457 soldiers made the supreme sacrifice in Belgium. 55 of these soldiers with known graves are buried across 28 cemeteries in Belgium, read the statement by Indian Embassy in Brussels.
The wreath-laying ceremony in conjunction with local Belgian Government Officials and general masses was conducted by the Embassy of India, Brussels from April 26 - 29, 2022 in all the 28 cemeteries.
Taking to Twitter, Indian Embassy wrote, "Celebrating #IndiaAt75 75 yrs of diplomatic ties. @Indembassybru paid homage to gallant Indian soldiers for their supreme sacrifice in World Wars across 28 memorials in Belgium from 26-29 April. "
The ceremonies were very well received. Valentijn Despeghel, Deputy Mayor of Ieper, Peter Slosse, Head of Tourism, Ieper, Rene Declerck, Chairman, Ieper Veteran Association, Gaert Bekaert, Director, CWGC, Ieper, Paul Olivier Delannois, Mayor of Tournai, Manuel da Conceicao Lima, Local Commander of Tournai, Pierre Bauters, President of a group of Patriotic Association of Tournai, Christof Dejaeghar, Mayor of Poperinge and Alicia Monard, Deputy Mayor of Charleroi were present in some of these ceremonies.
"The ceremonies rekindled our memories of the sacrifice made by the Indian Army and also gave us a unique opportunity to establish people-to-people contact and further strengthen the Indo-Belgian Bilateral Relations," the statement read.
