AMRITSAR/DELHI, Aug 3– The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has urged the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to jointly commemorate the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, instead of organising separate events.
In a letter addressed to the SGPC, DSGMC president Harmeet Singh Kalka stressed that a fragmented approach would not honour Guru Sahib’s legacy, who laid down his life in Delhi in 1675 to defend the religious freedom of Hindus.
“There are reports of separate events being planned by DSGMC and SGPC. Such a fragmented approach is not befitting the legacy of Guru Sahib,” Kalka stated.
He reminded the SGPC of past examples of Sikh unity during major commemorations — including the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa at Takht Keshgarh Sahib in 1999, the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev at Sultanpur Lodhi in 2019, and the tercentenary of Guru Granth Sahib’s installation at Takht Hazur Sahib, Nanded, in 2008.
Kalka also called for the inclusion of tributes to Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das, and Bhai Dyala Ji, who were martyred alongside Guru Teg Bahadur, in the proposed events.
The DSGMC has expressed hope that the SGPC will agree to a joint celebration that unites the Sikh panth in memory of a defining moment in Sikh history.