Don’t light diyas on Bandi Chhor Divas, Diwali: Gurdwara panel

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) 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 DSGMC has decided not to light diyas in the gurdwaras it manages. The appeal has been issued by DSGMC chief Harmeet Singh Kalka and general secretary Jagdeep Singh Kahlon.

The two announced that this year the DSGMC will 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 important that we honour the memory of our martyrs,” the DSGMC appeal said.

The 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 the Gwalior Fort in 1619. It is normally marked on the same day as Diwali.