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1. Battle Of Haifa

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1.1 Haifa 

  • It is third largest city in Israel.

  • It is home to the Bahá'í World Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a destination for Bahá'í pilgrims (one of the religious group in Israel).

  • The Indian cavalry brigades fighting under the leadership of British General Edmund Allenby helped liberate Haifa from the clutches of the Turkish-German forces inn 1918

  • The Embassy of India held a ceremony in Haifa to mark the Centenary of the Battle of Haifa when on 23 Sep 1918, Indian soldiers from the Jodhpur, Mysore and Hyderabad Lancers liberated the city of Haifa.

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1.2 Indian participation in World War I

  • In World War I the Indian Army (alongside Britain) fought against the German Empire on the Western Front, in East Africa, Mesopotamia, Egypt and Gallipoli.

  • It included 3.7 million tonnes of supplies, over 10,000 nurses, 1,70,000 animals, £146m of Indian revenue, and political support including that of Gandhi, who helped recruit Indian volunteers in the face of nationalist opposition.

  • The Indian Army was the largest volunteer force in the world, which provided 1.5 million troops to serve overseas from regions such as the Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Bihar.

  • Of these men, around 50,000 died, 65,000 were wounded, and 10,000 were reported missing, while 98 Indian army nurses were killed.

  • Volunteering offered a chance to break through the caste system, because becoming a soldier paid well and it meant becoming part of the ‘warrior’ caste, which gave high status in society.

  • Indian forces had their greatest impact in West Asia, with 60 per cent of all Indian troops serving in Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq), and another 10 per cent in Egypt and Palestine.

  • India Gate in New Delhi commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the British Army during the World War I. The memorial bears the names of more than 13,516 British and Indian soldiers killed in the Northwestern Frontier in the Afghan war of 1919.

  • India’s contribution to the British became one of the reasons for passing the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms which introduced dyarchy to the provinces (meaning Indian representatives would be elected and would represent the province to the British Crown.)

  • Following this period, Gandhi launched his first India-wide campaign of civil disobedience against British authority in February 1919. It was not driven by anti-Western or anti-British sentiment per se, but by the pursuit of self-determination.

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2. Paryatan Parv 2018

 

About Paryatan Parv

  • Paryatan Parv is being organized with the objective of drawing focus on the benefits of tourism, showcasing the cultural diversity of the country and reinforcing the principle of “Tourism for All”.

  • Components of Paryatan Parv

  • Dekho Apna Desh: It will encourage Indians to visit their own country. It will include video, photograph and blog competitions visited during event, stories of India through Travelers’ Eyes to promote tourism.

  • Tourism for All: It will promote tourism events at sites across all States in country. These will mainly be People’s events with large scale public participation. The activities at these sites will include Cultural Programmes of Dance, Music, Theatre, Tourism Exhibitions showcasing culture, cuisine and handicrafts and handlooms etc.

  • Tourism & Governance: It will have interactive sessions and workshops with stakeholders on varied themes like Skill Development in Tourism Sector, Innovation in Tourism, and Developing Rural Tourism in locations near established destinations.

  • India Tourism Mart 2018(IMT-2018): The Tourism Ministry in partnership with the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) will organize the first ever ITM 2018 during Paryatan Parv.

  • FAITH is the apex organization of all the important trade and hospitality associations of the country.

  • The objective of the event is to create an annual Global Tourism Mart for India in line with major international travel marts being held in countries across the world.

  • The Mart will provide a platform for all stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality industries to interact and transact business opportunities.

September Art and Culture

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