In a few weeks' time, Westminster Councillor Gotz Mohindra and his colleagues on a planning sub-committee of the council will deliberate on a particularly high-profile application. The matter in hand will be for the proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens, next door to the UK Parliament in Westminster.
Whilst the government has been instrumental in developing the plans, there is also strong cross-party and inter-faith support. It was announced by David Cameron's administration with significant funding, and other former PMs - Theresa May, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair - as well as the London Mayor Sadiq Khan have added their backing. Senior faith leaders such as the Chief Rabbi, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Catholic Cardinal have also spoken in support. At the same time, the scheme has attracted some noisy opposition from local groups and others.
The Memorial will honour the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered in the Holocaust, as well as other victims of Nazi persecution, including Roma, gay and disabled people. It will be accompanied by an exhibition which will tell the story of the Holocaust and also explore subsequent genocides, including those in Cambodia, Rwanda, and Bosnia. The display will also highlight Britain's role in the War effort and the heroic efforts of allowing 10,000 Jewish children into the country (though tragically 1.5 million children were murdered in the Holocaust).
The site chosen, next door to Parliament, has a particular resonance. It will be a reminder to all what happens when democracy and civilisation break down. The Holocaust Foundation considered 50 sites and made a recommendation for this site in Westminster to the UK government, which was accepted in 2016. The design of the Memorial, led by British Ghanaian architect David Adjay, consists of 23 tall bronze fins, representing the countries in which Jewish communities were killed during the Holocaust.
The project team has considered factors like security and visitor management. The clever design integrates into the environment ensuring 93% of the surface of the existing park. This project is important as it will teach generations of school children about the consequences of unchecked hatred or dehumanization of "others" in all its forms. As a case in point, this year, we are marking the centenary anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh atrocity in Amritsar, when 20,000 innocent Hindus, Muslim and Sikhs, including women and children, were ruthlessly shot by British troops, because they were dehumanised.
More than seventy years after the end of the Holocaust, this Memorial is needed. Holocaust survivors are dying out; soon we will have none left. Several survivors still continue their good work giving talks in schools around the country. But we are not too many years away from having no survivors left. Despite all the good work that has been done on Holocaust education, anti-Semitism persists and is growing alarmingly. It comes from the far-right, the "new left" and radical sections of the Muslim communities. By teaching future generations about the Holocaust and the perils of anti-Semitism, we can do something positive to counter racism and inculcate values of tolerance, understanding and civic decency. School children will learn about the Holocaust and other genocides. As a result, they will learn about the dangers of hatred, scapegoating and bullying.
What is the relevance of all of this to the Indian/Asian community? First, it enjoys a special kinship and chemistry with the Jewish community. Both communities know what it is to come to this country from migrant backgrounds, and build a life here. Like Jews, Indians have suffered from discrimination and prejudice, and understand what it feels like to be picked on and scapegoated (although overall Britain is a remarkably tolerant country).
Second, there is some interesting history. Gandhi, whose 150th anniversary of his birth we are about to mark, had a number of Jewish friends, particularly from his time in South Africa. Back in the 1930s, he even suggested that Jews could flee to India - "In a population of 300 million, what is a few hundred thousand?"
Third, Indians and Jews are, on the whole, model British citizens. We are proudly patriotic and also want to make a contribution to the economic, social and public life of this country. The Memorial and learning centre will teach important British values of tolerance and openness, much needed at this time.
The Holocaust Memorial proposed for Westminster is a landmark project. We encourage you to support it and, in particular, all Westminster residents to write to your local councillors. If it goes ahead, London will join the likes of Berlin, Washington and Jerusalem with moving and educational Holocaust monuments. The legacy of the project will be to teach future generations of British children about our dark history and the positive lessons we can learn from this.
Dr Peter Chadha and Zaki Cooper are Co-Chairs of the Indian Jewish Association. Seehttps://www.indianjewishassociation.co.uk/
