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Indian Express
17 hours ago
- General
- Indian Express
With Pak not an option, Maharaja Ranjit Singh's death anniversary marked at Summer Palace
Under the patronage of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) organised a special religious function at the historic Hawa Mahal (Summer Palace), located in the renowned Rambagh of Amritsar, on Sunday to observe the death anniversary of Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The event included recitation of Sri Sukhmani Sahib, followed by Kirtan by Jatha of Bhai Sukhjeet Singh Baba Bakala, Dhadi Vaar by Bhai Gurbhej Singh Chawinda, and Kavishri by Bhai Sucha Singh Dera Pathana — connecting the congregation with the Gurbani and Sikh history. Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj shared that considering the demand from the sangat and the current year's restrictions on Sikh jathas travelling from India to Pakistan for observing the anniversary under Shimla Samjhauta, he had suggested to SGPC to organise this event at Rambagh. He expressed gratitude to SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami and the Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib management for their support in holding this programme. Massive enthusiasm was shown at the congregation at Rambagh, a site of Sikh heritage. Participants included devotees from across Punjab and Amritsar, representatives of social and Sikh organisations, student bodies, and distinguished personalities. Prominent attendees included Kulwinder Singh (former head of History Department, Punjabi University), Baldeep Singh Ramuwalia, Sarabjeet Singh Ghuman, S Rajinder Singh Marwaha (Chief Khalsa Diwan), and Gangvir Rathore (Aalmi Punjabi Sangat) among others. Addressing the gathering , Jathedar Gargajj stressed on the urgent need to preserve Sikh heritage buildings not only in Western Punjab, but also in Eastern Punjab so that future generations can inherit history related to Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He pledged to work towards holding annual commemorative events at Rambagh Hawa Mahal on both the birth and the death anniversaries of Maharaja Ranjit Singh through the SGPC. Speaking to the media, Jathedar Gargajj noted Maharaja Ranjit Singh was deeply devoted to Khalsa Panth, Sri Guru Granth Sahib, and Sri Guru Ramdas Ji. He offered gold to adorn Sri Harmandir Sahib as well as extended similar reverence to Kashi Vishwanath Mandir and Sunehri Mosque. After building his palace in Amritsar, he named the surrounding garden 'Rambagh' in honour of Sri Guru Ramdas Ji. Jathedar Gargajj remarked that holding a Gurmat Samagam at this location after a long time, under the auspices of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, was a blessing from the Guru. He also noted SGPC arranged the poshak (robe) for the Nishan Sahib installed at Rambagh.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
June 27, 1985, Forty Years Ago: Air India Crash
Investigators say they may never determine what caused the crash of the Air India jet, which killed all 329 people on board. So far only two per cent of the jet's fuselage has been recovered and its flight recorders, with vital data, are deep beneath the sea. The meagre evidence prompted one US investigator to say he was not optimistic about finding the cause of the crash of the Boeing 747. Sri Lanka Talks Soon The Sri Lankan government will hold preliminary talks with representatives of the Tamil United Liberation Front and the militant groups in Thimphu, Bhutan 'very soon' to resolve the island's ethnic problems. The Indian government will provide facilities like transport for all delegates. Officials declined to specify who would head the government team but indicated the possibility that it might be at the ministerial level. Tohra On Punjab Poll The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief, Gurcharan Singh Tohra, warned the government in Ludhiana that until it accepted all the demands of the Akali Dal (Longowal), it would not be possible to hold elections in Punjab. He added that if the Congress (I) thinks of forming a government after the next election without solving the Punjab problem, it should learn a lesson from the past and recall the case of the Darbara Singh government, which had to be suspended after only half its term. Iraq-Libya Ties Sour Iraq withdrew its recognition of Muammar Gaddafi's 'Libyan regime' and said it was recalling its diplomatic mission from Tripoli. Iraq also asked the Libyan diplomatic mission in Baghdad to 'leave', a foreign ministry spokesman said.
The Print
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Haryana govt ‘Veer Banda Bairagi' ad on his martyrdom day invites backlash from SGPC, Akal Takht
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Acting Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib condemned the label as a 'grave insult' to Sikh history and identity, alleging a deliberate attempt to distort the legacy of the Khalsa general who led a historic campaign against Mughal tyranny. The controversy erupted after the Haryana government's Department of Information and Public Relations published advertisements in leading dailies and made social media posts 25 June, marking Banda Singh Bahadur's martyrdom day. The social media posts have since been modified. Gurugram: A Haryana government advertisement on the martyrdom day of revered Sikh warrior Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Wednesday ignited a firestorm of controversy as it referred to him as 'Veer Banda Bairagi'. In a strongly worded statement issued from Amritsar Wednesday, SGPC President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami described the advertisement as a 'violation of Sikh principles' and a 'misrepresentation' of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur's life and martyrdom. 'Calling him 'Veer Banda Bairagi' hurts Sikh sentiments and distorts historical truth,' Dhami said in the statement. He emphasised Banda Singh Bahadur, born Lachhman Dev in 1670, renounced his Bairagi identity after he met Guru Gobind Singh in 1708 and became a baptised Sikh. Under the Guru's guidance, he led the Khalsa Army to defeat Mughal forces at Chappar Chiri in 1710, captured Sirhind, and established the first Sikh rule, naming the site Sri Fatehgarh Sahib to honour the martyred Sahibzadas, the four sons of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Bairagi, in the context of Hindu traditions, are Vishnu devotees. It refers to someone free from worldly desires and attachments. They are often associated with ascetics or those who have renounced worldly life. Dhami highlighted Banda Singh Bahadur's revolutionary reforms, including abolishing the Mughal zamindari system and granting land ownership to farmers, a landmark step toward social equality. 'He was a devout Sikh, not a Bairagi, and his martyrdom in 1716, alongside his four-year-old son Ajay Singh, remains a symbol of Sikh sacrifice,' Dhami said. He demanded the Haryana government apologise, retract the advertisement, and take action against officials responsible for the 'deliberate' misrepresentation. Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, the acting jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and the Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, echoed Dhami's sentiments, calling the advertisement part of a 'conspiracy to erase Baba Banda Singh Bahadur's Sikh identity'. Paying homage to the martyr, Gargaj recounted his leadership in uprooting the Mughal rule from Punjab, his prolonged resistance at Gurdas Nangal, and his son's brutal execution before his own eyes. 'Referring to him as 'Veer Banda Bairagi' is an insult to his legacy and the Sikh community,' Gargaj said, urging Sikhs in Haryana to 'educate the government' about Banda Singh Bahadur's true identity. Also Read: Why BJP wants to make Sikh icon Banda Singh Bahadur its own — 'defender of faith against Mughals' 'Objections unwarranted' Ashok Chhabra, the media coordinator for Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, defended the advertisement, calling the objections 'unwarranted' and politically motivated. 'The BJP admires Banda Singh Bahadur's courage and valour. He was originally born a Bairagi, also known as Banda Bairagi. The SGPC's protest is for political reasons,' Chhabra told ThePrint. Bairagis are listed among 72 castes in Haryana's Backward Class 'A' block, alongside Kamboj, Bhat, and others. CM Saini and Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh belong to the BC 'B' block, which includes Ahir and Saini castes. Political analysts see the BJP's use of 'Veer Banda Bairagi' as a strategic move to appeal to both Sikh and OBC voters in Haryana, where caste dynamics play a significant role. 'Mentioning Banda Singh Bahadur as Bairagi serves a dual purpose for the BJP, wooing Sikhs while reinforcing its OBC push,' said Kushal Pal, a professor of political science who is posted as principal at Indira Gandhi National College, Ladwa, in Kurukshetra. About Banda Bahadur Baba Banda Singh Bahadur's legacy, as documented in Sikh historical texts and Sikhiwiki, remains a cornerstone of Sikh pride. Born in a Minhas Rajput family in Rajouri, he became an austere after a transformative encounter with a dying doe, adopting the name Madho Das Bairagi. His meeting with Guru Gobind Singh in Nanded in 1708 marked a turning point, as he embraced Sikhism and was tasked with punishing Mughal oppressors, including Nawab Wazir Khan of Sirhind. His victories laid the foundation for the Sikh Misls and Maharaja Ranjit Singh's kingdom, ending centuries of Mughal dominance in Punjab. Baba Banda Singh Bahadur's journey through Haryana in 1709 saw him ignite a rebellion against Mughal oppression. It started in Narnaul where he crushed dacoits amid the Satnami massacre, followed by rallying support in Hisar, summoning Malwa Sikhs in Tohana, plundering treasuries in Sonepat and Kaithal, and conquering Samana—infamous for its executioners of Sikh Gurus—before devastating Kunjpura, Ghuram, Thaska, Damla, and Shahbad Markanda, setting the stage for his historic victory at Sirhind. He met a brutal end 9 June 1716, when Mughal forces, after torturing him and martyring his four-year-old son Ajay Singh before his eyes, executed him in Delhi, dismembering his body after he refused to renounce his Sikh faith. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: YouTuber Dhruv Rathee takes down video after backlash over AI depiction of Sikh guru
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Jathedar says Haryana govt distorted Baba Banda Singh Bahadur's name
1 2 Amritsar: The officiating jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj, on Wednesday expressed concern over recent attempts to allegedly distort Baba Banda Singh Bahadar's Sikh identity by portraying him as 'Veer Banda Bairagi'. In a statement, he objected to an advertisement published by the Haryana govt to mark Banda Singh Bahadur's martyrdom day, which referred to him by this name. Gargaj said it was an attempt to blur Sikh history. He emphasised that this was a grave insult to the Sikh community and the legacy of a Sikh general and martyr. He added the move had deeply hurt Sikh sentiments. He directed the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to intervene and also appealed to the Sikhs of Haryana to engage with the govt to ensure its officials are educated on Banda Singh Bahadar's historical identity and legacy. He said Banda Singh Bahadar was the first Sikh emperor and a revered martyr, and no one had the right to distort his name. The name by which he is recorded in Sikh history should be universally acknowledged and promoted, he claimed. Gargaj revealed that as soon as the controversial advertisement and social media posts by Haryana's department of information, public relations, language and culture came to light, officials from the secretariat of Akal Takht reached out to the department concerned and lodged their objection. After this, the department removed the objectionable posts from their social media platforms and replaced them with content using Banda Singh Bahadar's correct name. However, he said, by then, the misleading advertisements had already appeared in newspapers and social media. He instructed SGPC to coordinate with Haryana DIPR to ensure such mistakes are not repeated in future.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Indian Express
SGPC official found dead under mysterious circumstance, probe on
Kartar Singh, in-charge of the Dharam Prachar Committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), was found dead under suspicious circumstances on Tuesday, two days after he was reported missing, police said. According to police sources, Singh's Activa scooter was found abandoned near Sultanwind canal, following which a search operation for his body was launched in the canal. SGPC officials lodged a written complaint at the B-Division police station on Tuesday, demanding immediate action against those responsible. Police said that based on the complaint, they were investigating the case. 'After recovering the scooter from the canal bank, we have intensified the search in the area,' a police officer said. However, police are yet to confirm whether it was a case of suicide or homicide. The victim's kin had earlier expressed concern over Singh's disappearance and suspected 'foul play'. The victim's sister said Singh had been under stress for some time over some domestic issues and had allegedly been assaulted on the night he went missing. 'He had shared his worries with us before. That night too, he was beaten up,' she told the media.
