Delhi gurudwara urges Sikhs not to light diyas as Diwali, Bandi Chhor Day falls on anti-Sikh riots anniversary

Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee has appealed to the community not to light diyas on Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas this year because the celebrations coincide with the anniversary of anti-Sikh riots of 1984.

The committee has further decided not to light diyas in the gurdwaras it manages.

The statement and appeal has been issued by DSGMC president Harmeet Singh Kalka and general secretary Jagdeep Singh Kahlon.

The two announced that this year DSGMC would not mark Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas in its shrines.

"Every year between October 31 and November 2 we pay tribute to the martyrs of the 1984 Sikh massacre. This year, Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas are coinciding with the dates of the Sikh massacre anniversary. Therefore, it has been decided to abstain from celebrations. We appeal to the Sikh Sangat to not light diyas in their homes. It is very important that we honour the memory of our martyrs," the DSGMC appeal said.

Bandi Chhor Divas, or Prisoner Liberation Day, is a Sikh celebration that commemorates the day when Guru Hargobind Sahib, the sixth Sikh Guru, was released from Gwalior Fort in 1619. It is normally marked on the same day as Diwali.