- Thursday, September 12, 2024
Prime minister will travel from Warsaw to Kyiv by a special luxury train, as all airports in Ukraine have been closed due to the ongoing war with Russia
By: Shajil Kumar
PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi who is currently on a visit to Poland, will be travelling to Ukraine on August 23 by a special luxury train, instead of taking a flight to Kyiv.
Known as Train Force One, Modi will undertake a 20-hour overnight train journey for his seven-hour visit to the Ukrainian capital, according to media reports.
With all airports in Ukraine closed, owing to the Russia-Ukraine war, train travel is the only possible and a safe option.
He will meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine, and important defence deals are also expected to be signed between the two countries.
Many other international personalities have travelled by Train Force One in the last two years after the Ukraine-Russia war began.
US president Joe Biden travelled by this train to Ukraine last year, and in 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron as well as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi travelled by this train.
Originally built in 2014 for tourists in Crimea, this train has a beautiful, modern interior, which looks like a high-end hotel on wheels.
The train features a large table for important meetings, a plush sofa and a wall-mounted TV. Arrangements have also been made for sleeping and resting.
The train has advanced security measures to protect its VIP passengers. From armored windows to secure communication systems, Train Force One is designed to handle the most challenging scenarios.
The train is equipped with surveillance systems, a secure communication network and a dedicated team of security personnel.
Good Maharaja
Modi on Wednesday paid homage at three memorials, including the monument of the Jam Saheb of Nawanagar, known here affectionately as ‘Good Maharaja’ who provided refuge to over 1,000 homeless Polish children during World War II.
He also paid tributes at the memorials for the Valivade-Kolhapur camp and the Monument to the Battle of Monte Cassino in Warsaw.
“Humanity and compassion are vital foundations of a just and peaceful world. The Jam Saheb of Nawanagar Memorial in Warsaw highlights the humanitarian contribution of Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja, who ensured shelter as well as care to Polish children left homeless due to the Second World War. Jam Saheb is fondly remembered in Poland as Dobry Maharaja,” Modi posted on X along with some photos.
The memorial, located at the Square of the Good Maharaja, Warsaw, is a remembrance to the deep respect and gratitude that the people and government of Poland have for the Jamsaheb of Nawanagar Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja, (of modern day Jamnagar in Gujarat), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a release.
During World War II, the Jamsaheb provided shelter to over a thousand Polish children and is today remembered as the Dobry(Good) Maharaja in Poland.
At the memorial, Prime Minister Modi met with the descendants of Polish people who were given shelter by the Jamsaheb, the MEA added.
In 1942, the Maharaja had provided refuge to about 1,000 Polish children from war-torn, occupied Poland and Soviet camps following the occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.
The surviving Polish children have formed an Association of Poles, which meets annually in one of the major Polish cities, it said.
The Valivade-Kolhapur camp memorial is dedicated to the generosity of the princely state of Kolhapur offered to the Polish people during World War II, the MEA said.
The camp established at Valivade, Kolhapur, provided shelter to Polish people during the war. This settlement housed approximately 5,000 Polish refugees, including women and children. At the memorial, the prime minister met with Polish people who had lived in the Kolhapur camp and their descendants, it added.
The Monte Cassino monument commemorates the sacrifice and valour of soldiers from Poland, India and other countries who fought alongside each other in the famous Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy during the World War II. (PTI)
