The Good Maharaja

If you're roaming around in a beautiful European country Poland then possibly you'll come across a city square named "Good Maharaja Square" ,  You'll also come across multiple streets , public Parks and schools named after Maharaja Digvijaysingh Jadeja , The Jamsahab of Nawanagar. Nawanagar was the small kathiyawari princely state of Gujarat in colonial India.

This generation of Indians may know about the activities of many freedom fighters, great persons like scientists, economists and others who time to time contributed for the development of the country and sacrificed their life for freedom of fellow Indians but there were many other Indians who significantly also contributed for humanity without considering caste, religion or nationality.

One such name is Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja, the Maharaja Jam Saheb of Nawanagar.

The story is all set to come a full circle. In the 1940s, When Hitler invaded Poland which was the part of USSR and started the second world war, the soldiers of Poland put their approx 500 women and about 200 children in a ship and left it at sea. The captain of the ship was told to take them to any country, where they can get shelter, if there is life and we remain alive then we will meet again.

but they were turned away from every country they approached for help because of the fear from Hitler.

from the cold parts of the Soviet Union to the warmer southern regions of Central Asia, The long and difficult journey stretched over thousands of kilometres. It was a test of human endurance and suffering in the most difficult situations. Many travellers lost their lives because of the cold, hunger, malnutrition and dehydration. The journey stretched across many lands and transit points — From Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and finally to the India's western coast , Bombay.

When their ship docked in Bombay , the British governor too refused them to enter. Maharaja Digvijaysinhji Jadeja, who had heard of the plight of the refugees, sought to help them and pressurized the British government to allow the refugees to disembark. Frustrated by the lack of empathy and the unwillingness of the british government to act, the Maharaja ordered the ship to dock at Rosi port in his province.

The first batch of the severely malnourished and exhausted orphans had a surprise welcome, when they arrived in Nawanagar, Maharaja himself received them and said ,  “Don't consider yourselves orphans. You are now Nawanagaris and I am Bapu, the father of all Nawanagaris, including yourselves,”. 

The children were provided with food, clothing, and medical care. 

The kind ruler then proceeded to use his own personal money to build the Balachadi camp with the cost of 6 lacs for the children about 25 km from the city of Jamnagar. The camp had more than 60 buildings, including a chapel, laundry rooms, a stage to hold Polish cultural programs, a community center to hold Saturday evening dances for growing adults, plus sports grounds.

A special library was set up with Polish books so that they can keep in touch with their culture. The Maharaja even brought cooks from Goa so that ‘similar’ type of Polish cuisine can be provided to them.The Maharaja even converted his palace into a school so that education can be provided to the children. The children stayed for 4 years till 1946 and they were the best childhood years they ever had out of traumatic war memories.

50 years after Jam Saheb’s death, Poland’s Parliament adopted a special resolution honoring Jam Saheb Digvijay Sinhji for his aid to Polish refugees during WWII. The Maharaja was awarded the President’s Medal, which is Poland’s highest national honor.

So, this was the short story of the forgotten humanitarian of Garvi Gujarat.