Sikhs Observe 'Sahibzade Shahidi Sabha' & Guru Gobind Singh 'Parkash Purab'

A three-day Shahidi Sabha (Martyr's Gathering) to commemorate the supreme sacrifice of the tenth Sikh Sovereign Guru Gobind Singh’s two younger Sahibzadas (sons)—Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh—and their grandmother Mata Gujri was observed 25–27 Dec at Fatehgarh Sahib. Chief Ministers of Panjab and Haryana Bhagwant Singh Mann and Nayab Singh Saini visited the historic Gurdwaras and paid obeisance to the martyrs. Over 5M people paid obeisance on the three days. However, despite the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Sri Akal Takht Sahib (Eternal Throne), Sikh organizations and scholars opposing the name Veer Bal Diwas (Brave Children’s Day), the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) went ahead and organized programs in 768 districts to honor the Sahibzadas’ sacrifices and is promoting the Guru’s teachings in various languages throughout India. While the BJP seeks to appropriate the Sikh martyrdom, the Union Home minister Amit Shah who attended the program at Panchkula, Haryana even boasted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government has left no stone unturned in showcasing the traditions of the Sikh Gurus before the country and the world. BJP’s Panjab spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal cited a 14 Nov 2019 tweet by Shiromani Akali Dal Bathinda Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal to argue that it was she who had advocated ‘commemorating the Sahibzade’ martyrdom under the title 'Bal Diwas.' On 27 Dec, the Sikhs marked the Guru Gobind Singh Parkash Purab (birth anniversary). Considering the Purab coincided with the Sahibzade Shahidi Diwas, the SGPC decided not to have a fireworks display at Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple). An Akhand Paath (uninterrupted reading of complete Guru Granth Sahib in about 48 hours) was performed and the Darbar Sahib was illuminated. Meanwhile, even after amendments were made to the Nanakshahi (Sikh) Calendar in 2010, the Parkash Purab of Guru Gobind is being observed twice in 2025 leading to confusion and debate within the Sikhs. Concurrently, the AT acting Jathedar (leader) Kuldeep Singh Gargajj has imposed a complete ban on Artificial Intelligence-based videos depicting Sikh Gurus (earlier coverage).