PM Modi pays homage to Valivade-Kolhapur memorial in Warsaw

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays a wreath as he pays tribute at the Monument to Battle of Monte Cassino, in Warsaw, Poland, (PTI Photo)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday praised the royal family of Kolhapur, which put “humanity above everything else” to ensure a life of dignity for the Polish women and children as he paid homage at the memorial for the Valivade-Kolhapur camp here.

PM Modi, who arrived in the Polish capital earlier for a two-day visit, paid tributes at the memorial plaque for the Valivade-Kolhapur camp, which was inaugurated in November 2017, near the Monte Casino War Memorial.

“Paid homage at the Kolhapur Memorial in Warsaw. This Memorial is a tribute to the great Royal Family of Kolhapur. This Royal Family was at the forefront of giving shelter to Polish women and children displaced due to the horrors of World War II,” PM Modi said in a post on X.

“Inspired by the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the great Royal Family of Kolhapur put humanity above everything else and ensured a life of dignity for the Polish women and children. This act of compassion will keep inspiring generations,” the Prime Minister added and posted a few photos from the event.

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted on X: "PM @narendramodi paid tribute at the Kolhapur Memorial in Warsaw today. The monument honours the generosity of the state of Kolhapur in Maharashtra that had given shelter to Polish women and children during World War-II." "It continues to illuminate the deep and enduring friendship & togetherness between India and Poland," the post added.

Valivade village near Kolhapur town in Maharashtra was where over 5,000 Poles had lived, integrated, and worked for several years before returning to their motherland.

The majority of them had arrived either by land or sea route after evacuations from Polish camps at the height of the Second World War.