Amritsar –Bharatiya Janata Party Punjab Spokesperson Prof. Sarchand Singh Khayala today appealed to the Bhagwant Maan government of Punjab to give up its insistence on celebrating the 350th martyrdom centenary of Shri Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib ji, join the programs proposed by the supreme Sikh religious organization Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and give them full support.
Prof. Sarchand Singh said to the Chief Minister Maan that the heart of the Sikh panth is very big – whoever serves the Guru Panth, he gets the blessings of the Guru Panth. He reminded that in the year 2019, during the 550th Prakash Parv of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the Shiromani Committee honored Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “Messiah” for the initiation of Kartarpur Corridor and also awarded him with the ‘National Service Award’ .
Prof. Sarchand Singh also questioned the learned Kuldeep Singh Gurgaon that if a degenerate, non-amrithari and non-Sikh Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his government are adamant about celebrating the centenary in Anandpur Sahib, will they call upon the Sikh Sangats to boycott this government function?
He advised Chief Minister Mann to change his thinking of calling SGPC ‘copyright’ or ‘Golak Prabandhak Committee’ and said that even though there are flaws in the management of Shiromani Committee, the foundation of this organization rests on the martyrdom and sacrifices of our elders.
Prof. Sarchand Singh advised the Chief Minister not to get involved in credit war politics and said that one should not create doubt in the Sikh panth just for his own stubbornness. Religious centuries not only connect with religion and heritage, but also show the right path to those who are in doubt.
This is the time to awaken religious tolerance and national consciousness – the time to convey the Guru Sahiban’s message of life values, teachings, humanity and sacrifice to the new generation.
While advocating to avoid confrontation, he said that religious centuries in history have always been organized by Shiromani Committees and religious institutions , and governments have also been supporting development work in these events.
For example, in 2022 on the 400th death anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur ji, a two-day event was organized at Red Fort (Delhi) by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and the central government gave full support. In 2017, on the 350th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, programs were arranged by the management committee of Takht Shri Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib and the support given by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is still remembered. In 1999 , during the Akali-BJP government, the ‘Virasat-e-Khalsa’ was established at Anandpur Sahib on the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Khalsa Panth.
Prof. Khayla also said that there is resentment among the people due to the indifference shown by the government towards the 450th Joti Jot Smriti (Goindwal Sahib) of Shri Guru Amardas Ji in June 2024, and that is the reason for the stubborn attitude of the government behind the martyrdom centenary to be held at Anandpur Sahib.
Taking a swipe at the Aam Aadmi Party government, he said that many Sikh centuries have come in the last three and a half years , but the government has not contributed to any of them.
It is also unfair for the government to argue that just as political platforms are held at Rakkah Punnia in Baba Bakala, Hola Mohalla in Anandpur Sahib and Maghi in Muktsar – in the same way they will organize programs on Shahadat Shatabdi.
Prof. Sarchand Singh asked, “Are the government and the Aam Aadmi Party going to set up any political platform in Anandpur Sahib, in the name of Shaheedi Shatabdi ke?”