A University of Worcester graduate has curated a moving exhibition exploring the contribution of Indian women in the Second World War.
Kiran Sahota
Kiran Sahota, founder of Believe in Me, a community interest charity, has created the Indian Women and War (1939-1945) project with funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund.
She has worked with young people and communities to explore the impact of the Second World War on Indian women and her research which was launched during a special event at the House of Lords and will now be exhibited around the Country, including in Kiran’s home City, Birmingham.
Kiran, who was awarded a Points of Light Award from the Prime Minister last year in recognition of her charity work, said: “I’m really excited about this exhibition. It will tell some unheard stories of women during the Second World War and even features a young Queen Elizabeth II when she was a Princess.”
Kiran said that South Asian communities in the UK with connections to India were largely misinformed of how the war affected women and how that period may have left a legacy on their community today.
“This project seeks to tell the stories of Indian women in particular the Indian Women’s Auxiliary Corps, the Indian Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRINS) and the Indian Women in the Royal Air Force. This is an opportunity to create skills and knowledge amongst difficult to reach communities and bring the heritage of some of the UK’s minority groups to a wider audience. We have explored the hidden voices of Indian women from the past to the present.”
The project is supported by National Army Museum, The National Archives, British Library, Leeds Museum, Centre of Voices & War Peace, Imperial War Museum, Ministry of Defence and many more local and national organisations.
Kiran, who was the first in her family to go to university, graduated from the University of Worcester in 2006 with a degree in English Literature and American Studies.
“I learnt so much during my time at the University of Worcester,” she said. “It introduced me to new books and new ways of thinking. It taught me the value of digging deeper, pulling harder on the thread of a thought until you can follow it somewhere really valuable, really interesting.”
To find out more about the exhibition and the wider work of Believe in Me visit the website www.bimcic.com