London: The UK on Saturday marked the first-ever National Windrush Day in honour of the Windrush generation of migrants who were brought to Britain to address labour shortages in the wake of the World War II.
The Windrush generation refers to citizens of former British colonies who arrived in the UK before 1973, when the rights of such Commonwealth citizens to live and work in Britain were substantially curtailed.
While a large proportion of them were of Jamaican or Caribbean descent who came on the ship Empire Windrush over 70 years ago, Indian and other South Asian immigrants from that era also fall within the categorisation.
On Saturday, Britain's caretaker Prime Minister Theresa May announced the world-famous London Waterloo Station as the location for a permanent Windrush monument.
"The Windrush generation helped lay the foundations for the country we know today, which is richer and stronger as a result of their hard work and dedication to the UK," May said in a statement.
"This monument will be seen by thousands of people from all around the world who pass through this station each year, and will be a lasting legacy to the tremendous contribution the Windrush Generation and their children have made to our great country," she said.
In the wake of a scandal in April 2018 over the crisis of thousands belonging to the Windrush generation wrongly being denied their British citizenship rights, the UK government had set up a compensation scheme and set aside funds for a memorial.
According to the latest update by UK home secretary Sajid Javid earlier this month, a total of 737 Indians confirmed their status in the wake of the Windrush scandal and a total of 6,470 individuals have been granted some form of documentation by the Windrush Taskforce.
The National Windrush Day to overcome the scandal and honour that generation is being marked by more than 50 government-funded community-led events across the country, including street-parties, workshops, performances and exhibitions.
An estimated 500,000 people now living in the UK have been called the Windrush Generation. The Empire Windrush first arrived at Tilbury Docks, Essex, on June 22, 1948, bringing workers from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and other islands, as a response to post-war labour shortages in the UK.
London's largest and busiest station was chosen from a list of potential sites by the Windrush Commemoration Committee, established exactly one year ago by May.
Chaired by Baroness Floella Benjamin, the Committee will look to commission and work with designers and stakeholders over the coming months to consider how best to create a lasting, fitting tribute to the Windrush generation and their descendants, backed by up to 1 million pounds funding from the UK's Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
"Having a Windrush monument located at Waterloo Station where thousands of Windrush pioneers - including children like myself - first arrived in London, will be a symbolic link to our past as we celebrate our future," said Benjamin.
"The Committee is determined to build a monument of great beauty and emotional impact which will lift the hearts of those who visit when it's unveiled. I hope it will inspire pride and a sense of belonging to all those associated with the Windrush story," she said.
Secretary of State for Communities, James Brokenshire, said: "Waterloo Station has been the gateway for generations of people coming to Britain. It stands at the heart of the Windrush story and will provide a central location to allow us all to reflect on our shared history and heritage.
"As communities across the country celebrate National Windrush Day, people in years to come will have a permanent reminder of the outstanding contribution of the Windrush Generation and their descendants."
