Kolkata, Feb 4 (IANS): The Indian Navy will commemorate the centenary of Lascars or merchant sailors who were killed during World War I on February 4 in Kolkata.

The function will take place at the Lascar Memorial which stands next to INS Netaji Subhas -- the naval headquarters of West Bengal -- along the banks of the Hooghly.

A Navy Spokesperson said that the West Bengal Governor will grace the occasion as Chief Guest.

“There will be a Talk on Maritime History as well as an Art and Philately Exhibition,” he said.

He said that the cultural events will include an Odissi recital and the Hornpipe Dance.

The British East India Company started recruiting Lascars in the 1600s for ships returning to England as most of the ships would be short-staffed on the start of their voyage back home.

Many seafarers simply deserted after the ships docked in India while others were killed due to disease during the long voyage.

The Lascars were cheap labour and readily acceded to perform the most menial of jobs on board.

The demand for Lascars grew after the opening of the Suez Canal and increase in the number of ships calling on India. The advent of steamships also required crew who could handle jobs such as stoking coal.

It is estimated that by the 1850s, there were 12,000 Lascars working on English merchant vessels.

Once the ships docked in England, trouble would start for the Lascars. They would run out of their meager earnings soon and end up on the streets, cold and hungry. It would be a long wait before they got jobs on ships starting for India.

During World War I, several merchantmen were targeted and sunk while hundreds of Lascars went down with them.

It was nearly six years after the end of the War that the British decided to pay homage to these brave men by building a memorial.

A contest was held to select the best design and William Keir, an architect, was the winner. The design is unique. There are prows projecting on both sides to signify an ancient ship. The lines in front symbolise waves. The plaque on the Memorial states that it was built by the Shipping Companies and Mercantile Community of Calcutta in memory of 896 seamen of Bengal, Assam and Upper India who lost their lives in the War.

The Lascar Memorial underwent repairs and restoration a few years ago and the Navy is in charge of its upkeep.