Historic importance: Polish consul general restores plaque at Panchgani school where orphan girls studied during World War II

PUNE Ludmila Jakutowicz from Poland is in her 90s and through social networks keeps in touch with her alma mater in Panchgani

PUNE Ludmila Jakutowicz from Poland is in her 90s and through social networks keeps in touch with her alma mater in Panchgani.

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During World War II she and 40 other orphan girls studied at the St Joseph’s Convent School, Panchgani.

The plaque that hangs out in the verandah of the school reads, “This plate is given by the grateful Poles whose children, being exiled from their country, were given education in this convent in an atmosphere of friendliness and cordiality: Panchgani 11th November 1945.”

The plaque itself, sadly, was in need of repairs.

“We were around 40 girls who studied here and when we completed our education, we put up a plaque in the school to express our gratitude,” says Ludmila via social media.

On Sunday, the Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Mumbai, Damian Irzyk, was on a special mission to Panchgani, where he visited the St Joseph’s Convent School and restored the plaque, which is of historic value for Poland and India.

“I am in touch with Jakutowicz and she expressed sadness of not being able to visit her alma mater during her trip to Kolhapur in 2019. She also told me about the sorry state of the plaque over the years, and so I thought of visiting the convent to see what could be done,” said Irzyk.

“This plaque is of extreme importance and carries a lot of sentiments for Poles who were in India during their exile in 1945. We could not restore it earlier due to the Covid pandemic,” said Irzyk

“Many poles living in East Poland were imprisoned and had to leave their homes when the Red Army (Soviet Union) attacked Poland. It was during the during World War II when Hitler attacked the Soviet Union, that many of the war prisoners were released and they travelled overland to Persia (Iran), while around 5,000 made their way to India, where the Mumbai Consulate which was set up in 1939, was organising humanitarian aid and had a convoy of 15 to 20 lorries going to Gujarat and beyond as far a Turkmenistan with basic amenities,” recalls Ludmila.

“It was decided by the then Consul General Eugeniusz Banasinski and his wife Kira Banasinska, that instead of getting empty trucks, children be brought back, mostly orphans to camps set up in Balachadi. Of these 500 to 600 children were transferred to Pune and Kolhapur where a small town by the name of Valivade was set up near Kolhapur,” she said.

“It was for secondary education, that many of us were transferred to Kolhapur at Valivade camp and sent to St. Joseph’s Convent School, the only Catholic school in Panchgani then. I remember the beautiful colourful flowers blooming across the tabletop, the breeze and also the kindness the teachers showed us then,” recalls Ludmila.

Irzyk said, “I want to preserve this memory and keep the historically value safe.”