Indian links at Sydney's

2007: The Sikhs make a debut

The Sydney Anzac Day parade bad its fuse Indian participation in 2007, when a small Sikh group marched as part of the contingent called British Commonwealth Forces, made up of a number of other nationalities Earlier, the Sikh Council of Australia and the Sikh Scout Group got in touch with Anzac House and RSL Headquarters \\11th a request to be allowed to march. They established a case by putting forward accounts from history of the Sikh participation in Gallipoli gathe red from various sources. The evidence was compeUing, and the authorities were convinced. It was an emotional experience for all involved. Vickram Garewal, executive member of the Sikh Council revealed, "One of our senior members ended up rather teary - he said he had neve r imagined that he would wear his medals with pride ever again, let alone march in the city streets to the adulation of the crowds".

Since then the Anzac Sikhs have only gone from strength to strength, prompting the Nepali and Indian contingents m also follow suit.

2008: Marching to their own tune

The next year in 2008, their numbers bad increased to 36 and they marched as a separate contingent all on their own, under a Sikh Regiments banner.

The turbans made them look different from others, and they received encouraging remarks, overwhelming app lause and were very well received by the onl ookers, who cheered and waved Aags at them.

Chris Perrin, then the secretary of the New South \Xia.Jes RSL specially congramlated the Sikh Aoat.

"I am glad that you were able to march on Anzac Day and that Sikhs were received so well by the crowd of on.lookers, despite inclement weather. From my part, l thought the Sikhs were one of the better "mrned our" miits/ associations marching in that part of the parade. I look forward ro assisting you once again in arrangi n g your participation in the 2009 Anzac Day march, and the conduct of a Wreath Laying Ceremony," he said

2009: The Y.OUng ones jo in in, ana bring the music ln 2009, eighteen -year-old Shubhdeep Singh Bhangu was part of the 30-strong Sikh contingent. He proudly carried the Australian Aag, resplendent in his RAAF uniform A first-year cadet trairung co become an armaments engineer, Shubhdeep told India11 Link then, "l've been wanting ro march i n the parade ever since I heard there would be a Sikh presence".

An added attraction was the professional bagp ipe band that accompanied the Indian contingent. Dasmesh Band, the la.rgesc private Indian band, second only co those of the Indian Army, were specially flown out for the event. With their turbaned gee-up, their "Sikh take on the Scottish tradition" won hearcs wherever they went. Ar the end of the parade, they got into au i.mprompmj11galhr111di Garn session) with a Scottish band, as people stopped o n the streets to watch. At the end , as Dasmesh played HapP.)• Bi1thdny for an elderly wheelchair bow1d passer- by, she openly cried tears of joy

2010 : A symbo l of goodwi ll and kin ship

A critical rime for the Indian community as the students' crisis was p laying out, the Indian contingent at the Anzac Day parade, resplendem in dark b lue turbans and suits, wid1 medals shining on cheir chests, was cheered on endmsiastically by on.lookers. It gen erated much goodwill and brought in a sense of un.icy and kinship.

2011: Community highl ight

By 20 1 1, word had spread within the commwli cy. The Sikh Regi ments contingent now boasted more ser v ing members of the Australian Armed Forces, and even more ex-servicemen, many of who were less mobil e and had to have transport organised for them. The .Indian community came om to support.

2012: W ider acceptance ln 20 12, the Anzac Day parade's Indian contingent was covered gushingly on TV, bringing the Regi ments' participation to a larger mainstream audience.

2013: One more

In 2013, a second lndian contingent won approval to participate in the parade. Ten veterans from the L1dian r avy and Army marched under the 'Indian Defence Forces' banner

2014: Hundred years

T llis year, i n a special 1\nzac Day parade to make the start of the l 00- yea r celebrations, die Indian contingents were rubbing shoulders yet again with mainstream veterans.

·'Anzac Day is a reminder of che debt of gracirude that we owe as a nation, to those who are currently sen7 ing and to those who have served in the past," Ajmer Singh Gill, President of the Sikh Council of Australia, told Indian Link

·'As we marched past the Cenotaph with our heads down in revere nce, we could imagine, the pain and s uffering of chose who laid thei r lives so that we could Jive free, and the sounds of tlie bullets from the gw1s in their hands and the no ise of the battle in tlie distance".

Usha Arvind, Sheryl Dixit and Rajni Anand Luthra