Punjab Outlook

Amritsar-Punjab BJP spokesperson Prof. Sarchand Singh Khiala today exposed the clear contradiction between the Akali Dal’s past advocacy and its present objections regarding observing the martyrdom of Sahibzadas as ‘Bal Diwas’, by placing yet another irrefutable and documentary proof in the public domain. He said that the biggest fact that completely nullifies the Akali Dal’s current objections is the public tweet made by senior Akali leader and Member of Parliament, Bibi Harsimrat Kaur Badal herself.
Prof. Khiala stated that on November 14, 2019, when Children’s Day was being celebrated across the country, Bibi Harsimrat Kaur Badal had clearly written in both Punjabi and English from her official X (Twitter) account that,
“Children’s Day should be dedicated to the younger Sahibzadas of the Tenth Master, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Their sacrifice for truth, righteousness and justice is unparalleled in world history, and observing Children’s Day in their name will guide future generations.”
The tweet was posted at 2:57 PM on that day and also carried the hashtag #ChildrensDay.
He said that even earlier, he has repeatedly clarified with solid documentary and newspaper evidence that the demand to observe the martyrdom of Sahibzadas as ‘Bal Diwas’ had originally come from the Akali Dal itself. Prof. Khiala recalled that under the leadership of Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and the then President of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, Manjit Singh G.K., a seminar was organized at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, under the banner of the Delhi Committee, during which a public announcement was made to recommend to the Central Government that the martyrdom day of Sahibzadas be observed nationwide as ‘Bal Diwas’. Photographs of the event and newspaper records of the same are still available today.
Prof. Sarchand Singh Khiala said that Bibi Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s tweet and the decision taken by the Delhi Committee at that time raise serious questions on the Akali Dal’s present objections and conclusively prove that the demand to observe the martyrdom of the younger Sahibzadas as ‘Bal Diwas’ was initially made by the Akali Dal’s own leadership. Despite these irrefutable proofs, the present denial by Akali Dal Badal leaders of their own earlier stand is not merely a political U-turn, but a blatant example of duplicity, opportunism and playing with Sikh sentiments.
He said the most important question today is that when this demand was publicly made by the Akali Dal’s own leadership, why is the same historical truth being denied now? Is this not just a political U-turn, but also an attempt to create confusion and mislead the Sikh community’s collective memory, understanding and emotions?
Prof. Khiala clarified that the sacrifice made by the younger Sahibzadas in their childhood for righteousness, truth and justice stands as one of the highest and most unparalleled examples in human history. The term ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ honours both bravery and childhood, and fully aligns with the path shown by Guru Sahib.
Prof. Sarchand Singh Khiala said that the historic announcement made by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on January 9, 2022, on the occasion of the Prakash Purab of the Tenth Master Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, to observe December 26 as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ in honour of the unparalleled martyrdom of the younger Sahibzadas, is not merely a governmental declaration, but a serious and far-reaching decision connected with Sikh history, Sikh sentiments and national consciousness. Unfortunately, today the Shiromani Akali Dal is raising objections to the very name ‘Veer Bal Diwas’, which stands in direct contradiction to its own earlier position.
He appealed to the Akali Dal to abandon political opportunism, accept the truth, face historical facts instead of evading them, and welcome this historic step that accords national recognition to the unparalleled martyrdom of the younger Sahibzadas.