Trench talk - The village with the gun with Dr Irfan Malik

Footsteps of the fallen

In our latest episode of "Trench Talk" it's a real pleasure to sit down and chat with Dr Irfan Malik. Dr. Malik grew up with stories of the men from his home village of Dulmial who went off to fight for the British in WW1 in greater numbers than from any other Indian village.
In this wide-ranging chat, we hear about how a chance conversation with one of his patients led Dr. Malik on a research journey that has given him unparalleled knowledge of the contribution made by Muslim soldiers during World War One. We hear about how Dulmial became known as "the village with the gun", how the British accommodated the particular dietary and spiritual needs of Muslim soldiers on the battlefield, the medical care provided to the wounded, and the multi-faith approach to burial that ensured that wherever possible the requirements of the Islamic faith were afforded to the dead.
We hear about a mosque built in a German POW camp, turbans, spices, and cooking, and discover why being a goat in France and Belgium probably wasn't a very appealing prospect.
For so long the contribution of the soldiers of India has been overlooked, and Dr.Malik explains why it's so important to remember those who came so far and gave so much.
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