The Sikhs and Thetford.
A visitor to Thetford might be surprised to find a statue celebrating the Anglo-Sikh relationship, with inscriptions in Punjabi - in the middle of rural East Anglia! Thetford does not have what could be described as a Asian community of any significant size, never mind a Sikh community.
Duleep Singh was a young boy, when the throne of the Punjab fell to him. The British intervened to act as his protectorate, but subsequently annexed his kingdom into British India. Young Duleep was brought to England. He settled as Lord of Elveden Hall, just outside of Thetford. Members of the British Royal Family often visited him there. Duleep Singh, his wife, and one of his sons were buried at Elveden Church. Another son, Frederick Singh, donated the Ancient House to Thetford, to be used as a museum, along with his book and painting collections.
The British Sikh community decided to celebrate Duleeps strange life on the centenary of his death. His life in many ways signified the beginning of a long relationship between the Sikhs and Britain. Those celebrations culminated in the erection of the statue on Button Island, Thetford. The photo is of the Sikh symbol on the statue base.
