📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / This Photo was taken by Timothy A. Gonsalves. Fee
International
Meghalaya team uncovers graves of three Garo WWI soldiers in Malta
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 26 Sep 2026, 06:37 PM
👁 13
A delegation from Meghalaya identified the burial sites of three Garo servicemen who fought in World War I during a visit to Malta.
A six‑member delegation from Meghalaya arrived in Malta as part of a cultural‑heritage mission and confirmed the existence of three graves belonging to Garo soldiers who served in the British Indian Army during the First World War. The team, led by the state’s cultural affairs officer, inspected the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site in the island’s capital, Valletta, where the markers were found.
The Garo community, hailing from the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, contributed several thousand men to the British forces in the early 20th century. Many were deployed to the Mediterranean theatre, and Malta, then a strategic naval base, became a burial ground for those who succumbed to wounds or disease.
Officials said the discovery holds emotional significance for the people of Meghalaya, offering a tangible link to a forgotten chapter of Indian military history. The state government plans to document the graves, seek official recognition, and possibly arrange a commemorative ceremony in collaboration with Maltese authorities.
Historians noted that such findings underscore the global footprint of Indian soldiers in WWI, a narrative that has gained renewed attention in recent years. The delegation will return to Shillong next week with detailed reports and photographs for archival and educational purposes.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission confirmed that the graves are maintained but had not previously highlighted the ethnic identity of the interred servicemen, prompting calls for updated records that reflect the diverse origins of the fallen.
The Garo community, hailing from the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, contributed several thousand men to the British forces in the early 20th century. Many were deployed to the Mediterranean theatre, and Malta, then a strategic naval base, became a burial ground for those who succumbed to wounds or disease.
Officials said the discovery holds emotional significance for the people of Meghalaya, offering a tangible link to a forgotten chapter of Indian military history. The state government plans to document the graves, seek official recognition, and possibly arrange a commemorative ceremony in collaboration with Maltese authorities.
Historians noted that such findings underscore the global footprint of Indian soldiers in WWI, a narrative that has gained renewed attention in recent years. The delegation will return to Shillong next week with detailed reports and photographs for archival and educational purposes.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission confirmed that the graves are maintained but had not previously highlighted the ethnic identity of the interred servicemen, prompting calls for updated records that reflect the diverse origins of the fallen.