History of Valivade – Kolhapur Polish settlement camp in India, 1942 -1948

the Valivade-Kolhapur Polish settlement camp 

Between 1940 and 1941 after the Soviet invasion of eastern Poland there were mass deportations of over 1 million Polish people to Siberia and Kazakhstan.  

In 1942 an amnesty was negotiated.  

The civilian population was initially billeted in camps in Teheran. They were transferred to Karachi and from there to countries which had agreed to take them.  

The Camp?s organisation and administration was entrusted by the authorities in Delhi to the Poles, who set up the infrastructure required for such a large community.

Due to the large number of children, four primary schools, a middle school, a secondary school and a vocational school were set up. There were also courses in tailoring, cookery, printing and bookbinding.

There was scouting ? including interaction with scouts from Kolhapur and Miraj. A church was built. There was a post office, security, a fire brigade and a cinema. Local people helped us with everything and we had daily contact with them.

The Valivade Camp had two sections: an orphanage for children and adolescents; and the so-called ?civilian area? where women with children lived independently.

Residents bought food from Indian shops and markets. They used the services of local craftsmen: shoemakers, tailors, cleaners, water porters

Indian teachers taught English in our schools. Indians helped in the hospital and clinic. Many Indians learnt enough Polish for day-to-day communication and one post office worker spoke it fluently.

 

 

When the War ended, the inhabitants of the Camp were dispersed across the world. The last of us left India in 1948. Only about 10% returned to Poland. Many settled in England, Italy, America, Canada, South Africa and Australia.