The Sikh bodies appealed to Sikhs to commemorate December 26 at “Sahibzade Shahadat Diwas” and not as Indian government’s mandated “Veer Bal Diwas.”

 

Until last year the martyrdom of Guru Gobind’s Singh’s Sahibzaada Fateh Singh and SahibzaadaZorawar Singh at the hands of the Mughals, was an occasion mostly observed in gurdwaras and in Sikh tradition. However, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that December 26 to be observed as Veer Bal Diwas to commemorate the martyrdom of the “four sahibzadas”on January 9, 2022.

This, he explained, is meant to be “a fitting tribute to the courage of the Sahibzades” and their steadfast adherence to “the noble principles of Dharma”.

A range of events, were organized to mark the day across India. CBSE schools across the country were instructed to hold commemorative events to pay homage to them and “observe Veer Bal Diwas in a befitting manner”. Schools conducted a series of activities — movie screenings, story-telling sessions, special lectures, essay and poetry writing, etc, to teach their students about the courage and heroism of Gobind Singh’s sons. At a broader level as well, pamphlets, booklets, and WhatsApp messages have been produced in hordes. A 38-page PDF titled Veer Bal Diwas was issued by the central government.

A large-scale eventat Delhi’s Major Dhyan Chand Stadium with PM Modi addressing the gathering. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also attended the event.

During his address Modi said, “On the one hand, there were heights of terror and religious fanaticism, on the other, there was the pinnacle of spirituality and kindness to see God in every human being,” Indian Prime Minister Modi noted in his speech. Any country with such a glorious history, he continued, must be full of self-confidence and self-respect. But concocted narratives have instead created a sense of inferiority, he said.

Modi’s address came a day after the Sikh bodiesopposed government’s move to declare the day of martyrdom as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’.

But instead of appreciating government’s move where entire India not just Punjab celebrated the martyrdom of the Sahibzaadas, why did Sikh bodies with Akal Takht and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee slam Modi government’s move. The Sikh body appealed to Sikhs to commemorate December 26 at “Sahibzade Shahadat Diwas” and not as government’s mandated “Veer Bal Diwas.”

The Akal Takht formed a committee of Sikh scholars to discuss the ‘objectionable nomenclature’. After the committee’s recommendation, Akal Takht suggested ‘Sahibzade Shahadat Diwas’ to the Union government, which went unheeded.

“Veer Bal Diwas” according to Sikh bodies constitutes a distortion of Sikh history. According to SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, “They were not Bal, like 8th Guru Sri Guru Harkrishan Sahib who became the Guru at the age of 8. Sahibzaade were the warriors of 7-year-old and 9-year-old. So, calling them ‘Bal Veer’ is not correct”.

“The Government of India is on the path of concocting Sikh history and it is unfortunate that the president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) is supporting this. Going against the traditions of the Sikh community, observing the martyrdom day of Sahibzadas as Veer Bal Diwas by the Government of India is a mischievous conspiracy to undermine the greatest martyrdom and valuable heritage in the world’s religious history,” Dhamisaid.

The argument is that this was an act of bravery that has historic importance and consequences and can’t be reduced to just “brave children”.

The Akal Takht, the highest temporal body of the Sikhs, also opposed the government’s initiative and passed a resolution earlier this year seeking that the day be celebrated as the Sahibzade Shahadat Diwas.

Responding to claims of the SGPC, BJP leader and former DSGMC president Manjit Singh Sirsa tweeted, “It is a widely accepted & admitted fact that no government has done as much as the @NarendraModi Government to preserve, protect & propagate the rich culture & heritage of Sikhism. From the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor to bringing back the Guru Granth Sahib, we’ll let facts speak!”

Sirsa said that while Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal too had earlier cleared the new name for the day, the change of heart was on account of their altered equations with the BJP. “Have you ever seen this chapter of Sikh history getting such a recognition at the national level?” Sirsa said. “What is the point in opposing the nomenclature except politics?”

Akali Dal spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said it was not about one party or the other. “Our party made efforts to get the history of the younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh recognised at the national level. But that doesn’t mean that SAD or any party has the right to decide the nomenclature. Only the Akal Takht can take a call on such issues… The Union government should have listened to what the Akal Takht suggested.”

The BJP, as a party may have its own ideological reasons to co-opt icons from Punjab and other states, but the move to mark the bravery and martyrdom of Sahibzades will remain in memory of every Indian kid. As PM Modi said, “The day is not far when students and children of Kerala and North East will also know and study about Sahibzades.”