Picture courtesy of Commonwealth Graves Commission
A group of Indian ex-servicemen visiting the site
Picture courtesy of Woking Galleries
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Across Black Waters
I came across Mulk Raj Anand while researching Woking’s neglected heritage site, the Muslim Burial Ground on Horsell Common. It was here that WW1 Indian Army Muslim soldiers were buried, having died of their wounds while in hospitals along the South Coast. Information about the site and the soldiers was scare and always from an official standpoint. There was very little about the real experiences of these men fighting on the Western Front for their King Emperor. I learnt about MulkRaj Anand’s book ‘Across Black Waters’ and when I finally got a copy, reading it was a seminal moment.
Mulk’s soldiers jumped out from the page at me. The experiences, thoughts and feelings of Lok
Nath, Daddy Dhanoo, and Uncle Kirpu etc came to life to tell the story of Indian troops in France. Mulk’s words made me determined to tell the story of the Woking soldiers buried so far away from home and families. It became very important to give these men a voice, to tell their story, and to raise people’s awareness of the importance of their sacrifice. Woking Galleries has now worked with artist Said Adrus to produce small touring exhibition telling the story of the soldiers and the site. Said
Adrus’ short film acts as a memorial to the men, using both contemporary and archival images. None of this would have come into being without Mulk Raj
Anand’s inspiration.
Tina Cockett
Education and Community Outreach Manager
Woking Galleries
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