Community leader calls for more participation in ANZAC Day celebrations

Bawa Singh Jagdev, secretary of the National Sikh Council of Australia, says community members must be encouraged to participate in ANZAC Day commemorations in large numbers to honour the sacrifices made by the Sikh soldiers and their families.

Key Points

• "More members of the community must particpate in the annual ANZAC Day celebrations," says Bawa Singh Jagdev.
• A contingent of Sikh soldiers, veterans and their family members march at the ANZAC Day parade in Sydney every year.

Speaking to SBS Punjabi, Mr Jagdev shares that veterans and their families must fulfil the criteria to participate in the annual ANZAC Day parades held nationwide.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to appeal to community members to come out and participate in marches and celebrations to show solidarity with the Indian troops," he says.

Credit: SBS

For over a decade, a contingent of Sikh soldiers, veterans and their family members have marched at the annual ANZAC Day parade in Sydney.

Explaining how the journey came to be, Mr Jagdev says it took years of hard work and several attempts for the National Sikh Council to secure a spot for the Sikh troops' representation in the official commemorations.

"After our first few attempts failed, we submitted more evidence of the participation of the Sikh troops in the Battle of Gallipoli along with the Australian and New Zealand forces.

"Our submission was eventually accepted, and since then, the Sikh community has been marching in this iconic annual parade," he adds.

Click on the audio player above to listen to this audio in Punjabi.

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