A Memorial Tree in memory of Chaina Powar was planted on July 19, who served in the British Indian Army during World War II in Burma and was also awarded the Burma Star medal.
He is the first Indian soldier who had been Memorised in the one hundred years history of War Memorial Park in Coventry.
Lord Mayor of Coventry, Councillor John McNicholas who along with Mr Hitesh Saxena from Consulate General of India and Leader of City Council Cllr George Duggins did the unveiling of the Memorial Plaque.
The British India, as part of the Allied Nations, sent over two and a half million soldiers to fight under British command against the Axis powers in World War II.
Indian soldiers fought with distinction throughout the world, including in the European theatre against Germany, in North Africa against Germany and Italy, in the south Asian region defending India against the Japanese and fighting the Japanese in Burma.
Indians also aided in liberating British colonies such as Singapore and Hong Kong after the Japanese surrender in August 1945.
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.