Politics casts a shadow over 350th martyrdom celebrations of Guru Tegh Bahadur at Anandpur Sahib

As the Punjab government readies to celebrate the 350th martyrdom anniversary of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, at a global scale in Anandpur Sahib later this month, political undertones threaten to overshadow the sacred occasion.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the supreme religious body managing Sikh shrines, has reportedly withheld several permissions sought by the state government, sparking unease ahead of the historic commemoration.

According to sources, the SGPC has not approved the government’s request to hold a Kirtan Darbar at the revered Gurdwara Shishganj Sahib in Anandpur Sahib. The state government had earlier written to the SGPC seeking permission to organise a devotional gathering at the shrine, but despite reminders, the approval remains pending.

The SGPC has also not permitted the state government to use its inns and accommodation facilities. The government had requested around 200 rooms in SGPC-run ‘sarais’ to host guests from India and abroad, but no consent has been conveyed so far. Furthermore, SGPC officials are reportedly not assisting the administration in the booking of 11,000 accommodations across three massive tent cities being raised for pilgrims during the nine-day celebration.

The SGPC has announced its own independent series of religious programmes from November 21 to November 28 in Anandpur Sahib to mark the Guru’s martyrdom.

When contacted, Gurdeep Singh Kang, Manager of Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, confirmed that the Punjab government’s application for the Kirtan Darbar, submitted on November 2, had been forwarded to the SGPC headquarters in Amritsar. “No formal reply has been received yet,” he said.

He added that the request to hold a government-sponsored Kirtan Darbar inside Gurdwara Shishganj Sahib was turned down because “political events sometimes lead to violations of ‘maryada’ (the religious code of conduct).”

“The SGPC itself will organise the Kirtan Darbar at Shishganj Sahib, and all devotees, including officials, are welcome to participate,” Kang clarified.

Meanwhile, Education and Public Relations Minister Harjot Singh Bains, who represents Anandpur Sahib constituency and is overseeing preparations, downplayed the apparent rift. “The state government is cooperating with the SGPC and has fulfilled every requirement raised by the local management of Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib,” he said. “This is a collective celebration of Punjab’s spiritual heritage, and I am hopeful that all necessary permissions will soon be granted.”

However, behind the courteous exchanges lies an evident tussle between the state’s efforts to project the event as a global celebration and the SGPC’s effort to deny all credit to AAP government.

Gurdwara Shishganj Sahib in Anandpur Sahib is a site of immense spiritual significance in Sikh history. The shrine marks the place where Guru Tegh Bahadur’s sacred head (shish), martyred in Delhi in 1675 for defending the right to religious freedom, was brought by his devoted disciple Bhai Jaita (later known as Bhai Jiwan Singh).