Haifa honours Indian soldiers who liberated city in World War I

Israel's northern coastal city of Haifa on Wednesday commemorated the valour and sacrifice of Indian soldiers who helped liberate it from Ottoman forces during World War I, with local officials and Indian diplomats recalling the role of the cavalry regiments in the Battle of Haifa on September 23, 1918.

The annual Haifa Day commemoration, organised by the Haifa municipality in association with the Embassy of India, also underlined efforts to ensure younger generations learn about the Indian soldiers' role in the battle and the enduring links between Haifa and India.

Deputy Mayor Sarit Golan-Steinberg said, "Haifa has not forgotten the courage and sacrifice of the Indian soldiers." She added, "Their story remains an integral part of the history of Haifa and an important part of the close ties between Haifa and India," and said the annual commemorations and memorials across the city were "symbols of the historic connection".

As part of these efforts, students from the Ironi Gimel school attended the ceremony and learnt about the Battle of Haifa, the role of Indian soldiers and the enduring ties between India and Israel. The municipality has also included the story of Haifa's liberation by Indian soldiers in school history textbooks and organises lectures in schools to make youngsters aware of its "real" history, contrary to the belief that British forces liberated the city.

History textbooks in Haifa now teach the story to students from classes 3 to 5, while the Haifa Historical Society has been visiting schools over the past decade to recount the role of Indian soldiers in the liberation of the city. Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav had last year recalled that he grew up believing British forces had liberated the city until research by the Historical Society established that Indian troops had played the decisive role. "In every school we are changing the texts and saying that it wasn't the British but the Indians who liberated us," Yahav had said.

Indian Ambassador to Israel J P Singh paid homage to the fallen soldiers at the Haifa Cemetery by laying a wreath and recalled the exceptional courage of Major Thakur Dalpat Singh, popularly known as the "Hero of Haifa". Singh said the Battle of Haifa remained an "important chapter in the shared history of India and Israel".

Major Dalpat Singh was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery. Accompanied only by his trumpeter, he charged an entrenched machine-gun position, killed or scattered its crew and captured the gun, along with the commandant of a regiment and another officer. He was critically wounded by machine-gun fire and later died of his injuries. Captain Aman Singh Bahadur then took command and rallied his men in the final charge.

The Jodhpur Lancers lost eight men and had 34 wounded, while capturing more than 700 prisoners, 17 field guns and 11 machine guns. Captain Aman Singh Bahadur and Dafadar Jor Singh were awarded the Indian Order of Merit, while Captain Anop Singh and Second Lieutenant Sagat Singh received the Military Cross for their bravery. The Indian Army commemorates September 23 as Haifa Day every year to honour the Mysore, Hyderabad and Jodhpur Lancers, which were part of the 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade that took part in the battle.

The Indian cavalrymen, armed with lances and swords, charged Ottoman positions on the rocky slopes of Mount Carmel and helped capture the strategically important city. Military historians have described the Battle of Haifa as one of the last major classical cavalry actions of its kind and as an instance "when a fortified town was captured by cavalry on the gallop". The battle was part of the wider Allied campaign against Ottoman forces in the Middle East during World War I. More than one million Indian soldiers served during the war, with over 74,000 Indian troops losing their lives, including more than 4,000 in the Middle East.

About 900 Indian soldiers are buried in cemeteries in Haifa, Jerusalem and Ramle. Memorials to Indian soldiers exist at all three locations, including for those who were of Jewish descent. The Embassy of India, with Israeli authorities, has also established the India Trail in the Holy Land, highlighting sites linked to the service and sacrifice of Indian soldiers during World War I.

India has commemorated the Battle of Haifa in several ways. During Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to New Delhi in January 2018, Teen Murti Chowk was renamed Teen Murti Haifa Chowk. The memorial had been erected in 1922 to commemorate the role of Indian cavalry in the battle. 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. The 61st Cavalry, formed after Independence through the merger of the three Indian cavalry units, sent a contingent to Israel in 2018 for the centenary commemorations of the battle, and the Israel Post also issued a commemorative stamp that year honouring the contribution of Indian soldiers to the liberation of Haifa.

Wednesday's commemoration in Haifa brought together these strands of memory, from battlefield valour and official honours to classroom teaching and public memorials, to recall the Indian soldiers who helped liberate the city and to reaffirm the shared history remembered through Haifa Day.