Canadian soldiers are buried in this War Cemetery in Assam, India
It is said a cemetery is filled with stories.
This Remembrance Day, I am transported to a land far, far away: the city of Guwahati, the state capital of Assam, in India’s northeast region. In Guwahati, which has a population of 1.1 million, there is a little-known cemetery where 5 Canadian military members are buried. In 2015, I had the privilege of visiting this cemetery.
The Guwahati War Cemetery holds about 500 graves for military service members who fought in both World Wars from several countries, including: Canada, India, UK, New Zealand and Australia. Since this region is off-the-beaten-path for international travellers, and the cemetery itself is not exactly easy to find, it doesn’t attract many foreign visitors. But it is certainly well maintained and has many benefits for those who are able to pay their respects.
As someone who has travelled across India, the Guwahati War Cemetery is the first cemetery I have visited in this country. As I walked around the grounds alone, with the exception of my guide who gave me space, I was taken by its natural, understated, simple beauty. Its peacefulness in the midst of a noisy and chaotic Indian city, was a pleasant reprieve, especially while trying to stay cool in the sweltering heat. While I strolled at a gentle pace and looked at the headstones, I wondered what it would have been like for the loved ones of those buried to come visit here, so far away from their homelands. I sought comfort in the knowledge that these sacred grounds held not just 500 graves, but 500 stories,
The cemetery is administered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, an intergovernmental organization that maintains the graves and memorials of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars. It includes the graves of 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth military forces and cemeteries at 23,000 locations across the globe.
What is unique about this particular cemetery is that, until 2012, it was the only Commonwealth cemetery to have burial sites of Japanese soldiers who died during the second world war. It is unusual to have soldiers that are allies and enemies buried together in one war cemetery. In 2012, the Japanese government had the remains of its soldiers sent back to Japan for burial there.
No war was fought in the area where the cemetery is located. Those military service members who are buried here are mostly patients from nearby war hospitals and some graves were brought in from other local cemeteries over time. (source: Indian Express).
Related Articles:
Shannon covers Rongali Festival in Assam, India
