Indian Soldiers Who Fought to Free Haifa Honored by Modi and Netanyahu

On the last day of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day visit to Israel, he and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu visited the British military cemetery in Haifa to pay respects to the Indian soldiers who fought in the World War I battle for the city and are buried there.

Forty-four Indian soldiers were killed freeing Haifa from heavily armed Ottoman Turks, while fighting for the British Empire. They were part of two Indian Cavalry Regiments who fought in the Battle of Haifa on September 23, 1918, which ended over 400 years of Ottoman rule of the coastal city. The Mysore Lancers and  the Jodhpur Cavalry from the 16th Imperial Cavalry Brigade charged the Turkish positions on horseback in one of the last cavalry charges to result in victory in a modern war.

The Indian Army marks September 23 every year as Haifa Day to honor the Indian regiments that fought with only swords and spears against the Turks, who were supported by German machine gun troops and Austrian soldiers manning field guns.

In Haifa, the two prime ministers laid flowers on the soldiers’ memorial and unveiled a plaque in memory of the Indian soldiers who fell in the battle to liberate Haifa. They also signed the official guestbook, with PM Modi writing that he was deeply honored to stand and salute the “valiant Indian soldiers who laid down their lives for the liberation of Haifa in the First World War.”

“The exceptional bravery and supreme sacrifice of Major Shakur Dayat Singh, the ‘hero of Haifa’, and his men will be remembered forever and continue to inspire generations to come. Next year, the century of the Battle of Haifa will present another opportunity to mark this enduring bond between India and Israel,” wrote the Indian prime minister, signing off with the Hindi battle cry “Jai Hindi” meaning “Long live India.”

Netanyahu signed the guestbook, writing, “In memory of the brave soldiers of India who helped liberate our land. In deepest respect, Binyamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of Israel.”

A report in The Times of India pointed out that the municipality of Haifa decided in 2012 to honor the Indian soldiers buried in the Haifa cemetery by including the stories of their battle efforts in the school curriculum. In addition, the report also mentioned that the Haifa municipality organizes a ceremony every year to commemorate the efforts of the Indian Army in freeing the city from the Turks.