Sri Dasmesh shines at Anzac Day Parade

| Sydney, Australia | Asia Samachar | 26 April 2015

Malaysian-based Sri Dasmesh Pipes and Drums led the Sikh contingent at the National Anzac Day Parade in Sydney, Australia, yesterday.

This is the second time that the band is performing in Australia after 2009.”Videos taken at the first performance of the band at Glenwood Gurdwara have received over 62,000 views in just 48 hours,” wrote on of excited band members on his Facebook page a few days ago.

“The band will march to remind the people of Australia, of the sacrifices that the Sikh community has made to maintain freedom and peace.”

The 31-member band, comprising 14 drummers and 17 pipers, is led by drum major Terlochan Singh, pipe major Harvinder Singh and lead drummer Sergeant Tripert Singh.The band also visited a few gurdwaras, including the Gleenwood and Revesby.

“A pleasure to visit Glenwood Gurudwara this evening to wish everyone a happy Vaisakhi, and to welcome the famous Sikh Pipe Band to Australia, assisted by the Greenway Centenary of ANZAC Grant,” wrote Glenwood member of parliament Michelle Rowland on her Facebook. She is also the shadow minister for citizenship and multiculturalism.

Anzac Day, celebrated on 25 April, is one of Australia’s most important national occasions. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. Anzac stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, according to information at the Australian War Memorial website. See here.

Sikhs fought alongside the Anzacs at Gallipoli with the 14th Sikh Regiment suffering possibly the highest casualty rate of any force during the Gallipoli campaign, with only 4 survivors, according to a news report by ABC,net last year.”

379 Sikh officers died on the 4th of June in 1915; it virtually wiped out the 14th Sikh Regiment,” Australian tax accountant Harjit Singh was quoted in the report titled ‘Remembering Australia’s bearded, turbaned war heroes’. [See here.]

These Sikhs were mostly from India, but research by Australian Sikh Heritage has also identified ten Sikhs from Australia who served as part of the Australian Imperial Force during WWI, the report added.

The band was brought to Australia by the Sikh Youth Australia with the support of the Australian Sikh Association and some support from the Australian government local centenary grant program.

What we picked up at Melbourne’s Sikh Family Camp (Asia Samachar, 15 Apr 2015)