Kumudini Homes students not only fulfilled their dream but also stunned everyone and made all Indians proud. The Basel Tattoo Festival is regarded as one of the largest military music festivals in the world. It is held in Switzerland. Except for the man who accompanied the children from Kumudini Homes to Basel Tattoo in July 2022, nobody had ever imagined that students from Kalimpong and Darjeeling Hills would participate in that event. No other band in India has ever accomplished what Mr Priyadarshi Lama, an assistant teacher at the aforementioned school and a pipe band instructor, and his students did.
The Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection, and Sports, which is in charge of organizing the Basel Tattoo, extended an invitation to Kumudini Homes. After the Edinburgh Tattoo in Scotland, the Basel Tattoo Festival is regarded as the second-largest military music festival.
The town of Kalimpong in North Bengal has long been renowned for its spectacular Independence Day celebrations, and this has been the case since British rule. On the 16th of August, a band display competition is held at Mela Ground every year. For these students, who are used to performing at Mela Ground each year, Basel Tattoo was a bigger stage, but they still had confidence and self-belief. Since Kumudini Homes didn’t reflect any particular school or ethnicity but rather the country, they didn’t just bring honour to the Kalimpong or Darjeeling hills but also the whole of India.
Also read : How Kalimpong celebrates Independence Day?
When they arrived in Switzerland, one of the students by the name of Alex said it was difficult for them to tell the difference between their dreams and reality. It was practically everyone’s first trip abroad, so adjusting to the new surroundings immediately was challenging.
Many people from our nation travel abroad in pursuit of employment, education, or even just to visit, but the students from Kumudini Homes came to Europe so they could represent their nation with pride. The pressure to perform well when one is representing the nation upsurges, but they maintained a positive attitude during the momentous occasion.
Success requires effort, and this is true for students as well. They have been practising for the festival since 2019, according to sources. A flight from India to Switzerland, which is located 7,164 kilometres away, takes twelve hours. On July 12, 2022, they arrived at their destination, but the voyage had not been simple for them.
They were scheduled to take a Spice Jet flight from Bagdogra to Mumbai, but it was abruptly cancelled, shattering their hopes. They were unable to board the flight from Mumbai that was meant to take them to Switzerland as a result. Although no one wanted to assist them, the students persisted. They used social media to spread the word about their flight cancellation.
The video quickly went viral. People began criticising Spice Jet for being unprofessional, and the hashtag #boycottspicejet even became trendy. According to Rajesh Bhusal, the principal of Kumudini Homes, the flight was scheduled to leave Bagdogra at 4:30 PM but was postponed. When they requested assistance, the authorities accused SpiceJet, who in turn blamed the Airport Authority of India.
The incident caught the attention of Raju Bista, MP from the Darjeeling Constituency. He quickly made the required arrangements and booked an Indigo flight to New Delhi. To wish the students well, he also went to the airport and met them. The team left Indira Gandhi International Airport on the next flight to Doha, Qatar, where they then boarded another flight to Zurich, Switzerland.
Despite being a challenge for the pipes and drums band, the SpiceJet cancellation had some good effects as well. Due to this incident, more people in the nation learned that the band from Kalimpong was travelling to Switzerland for this momentous occasion. They received greater admiration and help from the public as a result.
After the flight, all of the students were required to rush for fourteen hours of practice, which was difficult for them, but the team was resolute and rapidly adapted to the environment, according to mentor Priyadarshi Lama. The Basel Tattoo Festival had never previously invited students from any government school. Kumudini Homes was listed on the Swiss defence team’s list of band members after an extensive investigation was done on all of them worldwide. Before inviting any team to the festival, the Swiss defence carefully examines their performance over several years, so it is not a simple process.
The band members of Kumudini Homes are known for playing both Scottish and Gorkhali tunes. They exclusively perform tunes from the Indian Military School of Music. Among them, the two most significant Gorkhali songs are “Lahure ko Relimai” and “Yo Nepali Sir Uchali.” All the other teams were only permitted to participate in one event; however, Kumudini Homes were allowed to participate in three, including the “Counter March, Khukuri Dance, and Full Display Event.“
According to Priyadarshi Lama, the Swiss Ministry of Defence covered all costs, including the visa. However, Ramesh Poudel took on the cost of health insurance. There were additional sponsors, including MLA Ruden Lepcha, the SC/ST Department, and other departments. Priyadarshi Lama’s friends and other alumni members have made significant contributions. Although Kumudini Homes’ performance was reportedly on par with that of the other participating teams, it is alleged that their uniforms and equipment were not of world-class quality.
The Swiss Army Central Band, His Majesty’s King’s Guard Band, the Norway Drill Team, and the Band of Her Majesty’s Welsh Guards from Great Britain all gave noteworthy performances at the occasion.
Watch The Cord’s special story : Mela Ground Se Basel Tattoo Ka Safar –
