The documentary, produced by Anu Radhe, tells the story of Polish refugees evacuated from the Soviet Union during World War II who found asylum in India when occupied Poland fought for independence.
Between 1943 and 1948, Valivade became a refuge for about 5000 Poles – mostly women, children, and young people. Jam Saheb, the Majaraja of Nawanagar, offered to help more than a thousand children. He assured them medical care, food, clothing, and, most importantly, education. Jan Saheb was truly invested in their fate and was treated almost as a father. Asked how his generosity could be rewarded, he answered, “In liberated Poland, give my name to a street in Warsaw.” Today in Poland’s capital there is a Square of the Good Maharaja and a school in his name.
Jindobrey India presents the story of friendship seen through the eyes of refugees who are now scattered throughout the world. The film documents an anniversary visit of veterans to Kolhapur and Valivade in March 2014. The event was attended by representatives of the Council for the Protection of Memory of Combat and Martyrdom, the Office of War Veterans and Victims of Oppression, the Field Bishop of the Polish Army, the Polish Ambassador to the Republic of India, Poles from the community in India in 1942-1948, Senator Andrzej Person, the Polish Consul General in Mumbai, the Deputy Commander of the Garrison in Warsaw, and a representative of the President of Poland.
“In recent years state television Doordarshan has actively documented the fate of Poles in India during the Second World War. It does so in cooperation with Polish institutions, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Polish Embassy, and the Polish Institute in New Delhi. We constantly cooperate in the promotion of Polish culture in India, reaching out in Hindi and English to a potential audience of 150 million. Jindobrey India was also promoted on the popular morning show ‘Aaj Saver,’” – said Anna Tryc-Bromley, director of the Polish Institute in New Delhi.
The film will premiere on Indian television on 1 August 2015 at 20:30 Indian time. Thanks to a joint initiative between Doordarshan Television and the Polish Institute in New Dehli, the premiere coincides with the celebration commemorating the Warsaw Uprising. The documentary will be repeated in Hindi on 2 August 2015 at 17:30 Indian time on the same channel.
Source: press releases, ed. AW, trans. AGA