UN marks 100th anniversary of World War I
United Nations: UN has commemorated the centenary of World War I, lauding the courage and sacrifice of soldiers including over a million from India, and underscored the importance of reconciliation through diplomacy. “Today we remember the millions who were killed or wounded in one of the deadliest conflicts in human history. The First World War was described at the time as the war to end all wars. It did nothing of the sort,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said.
“That work demands tremendous patience and political will. But it also faces immense challenges, as we see with today’s horrific violence on many fronts.
“Too many continue to fuel conflict, almost heedless of the human consequences. Too many continue to embrace the military option, despite the lessons of history,” Ban added.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Asoke Mukerji said apart from Indian soldiers and medical personnel, a large number of Indian technical support troops played a key role during the war.
“We look at the first world war as one of those defining events in our own evolution as an independent country. The war brought together the Indian Army as we know it today,” he said.
“The sadness of the war is evident because after the British army, the Indian army took the most casualties,” Mukerji added.
