Indian army chief to inaugurate memorial for Indian soldiers in Italy

INDIAN army chief General M M Naravane was set to embark on a tour of the UK and Italy for four days starting Monday (5) and the highlight of the visit will be him inaugurating the Indian Army Memorial in the Italian town of Cassino.

“The COAS (chief of the army staff) will also inaugurate the Indian Army Memorial in the famous town of Cassino and will be briefed at the Italian Army’s Counter IED Centre of Excellence at Cecchingola, Rome,” sources in the Indian army said.

Cassino has an important link to the Indian military as during the Battle of Monte Cassino in the Second World War (1939-45), more than 5,000 Indian troops sacrificed their lives while fighting to save Italy from the fascist forces. Nearly 50,000 Indians were enlisted for Italy’s liberation between September 1943 and April 1945 when the great war neared its end and the memorial has reportedly been built to pay homage to them.

Indian troops helped in liberating Italy

“The fourth, eighth, and tenth Indian Infantry Divisions were employed in the battle for the capture of Monte Cassino and in the bitter campaign that followed for the breaching of the Gothic Line,” former Italian army chief General Fabrizio Castagnetti had said while speaking at a ceremony at Cassino earlier. Tributes were paid to the slain Indian soldiers on the occasion.

Besides Cassino, Italy has several other cemeteries where Indian soldiers have been buried. Perugia, Luca, Florence, San Marino, Cesena, Forli, Ferrara, and Bologna are some of the Italian cities that troops from India had helped to liberate during the Second World War. Six Indian soldiers who were part of the Allied contingents fighting for the liberation of Italy had also received the prestigious Victoria Cross.

Gen Naravane will hold talks with some of the UK’s dignitaries, including the secretary of state for defence, chief of defence staff, chief of general staff and others during the first leg of his visit which falls on July 5 and 6.

Both the UK and Italy are India’s key partners in sectors like defence, healthcare, aerospace, clean technology, education, renewable energy, information and communication technology, among others, officials said.

The army chief’s visit is a part of military diplomacy that marks an ongoing process in India’s outreach to significant partners and signals its growing importance globally as a key player and a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific region, India Today reported.