Amritsar- The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami has strongly condemned the physical imitation of the younger Sahibzadas of Sri Guru Gobind Singh, Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh, under the Centre Government's Veer Bal Diwas program at a Kendriya Vidyalaya in Payyanur, Kerala. Advocate Dhami said that imitation of the younger Sahibzadas of Sri Guru Gobind Singh when the Sikh community is observing the martyrdom days of the Sahibzadas is highly objectionable and against Sikh principles. He said that the sentiments of the Sikh community have been hurt by the administration of Payyanur Kendriya Vidyalaya in Kerala by getting the children to imitate the younger Sahibzadas and posting the photos on social media. He said that although Payyanur Kendri Vidyalaya has removed objectionable photos from its social media platforms after the SGPC expressed its objection to this incident, the Centre government needs to take concrete steps to prevent such incidents from happening at the national level.
SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami asked the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Central Board of Secondary Education of the Government of India to order schools, colleges and educational institutions to hold events in the light of Sikh principles and history while observing the martyrdom day of the Sahibzadas at the national level and to ask them not to act against Sikh principles in any way.
Addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Harjinder Singh Dhami said that the name Veer Bal Diwas, which has been given by the Government of India to the martyrdom day of the younger Sahibzadas, has not been accepted by Sri Akal Takht Sahib and the SGPC, including other main Sikh institutions. Therefore, the Government of India should approve the name ‘Sahibzade Shahadat Diwas’ recommended by the SGPC and issue a revised gazette notification in this regard. He said that according to the Sikh principles, the Sahibzadas achieved unparalleled martyrdom with bravery at a young age, therefore the Sikh community respects them with the term Baba and the government should also move forward with this spirit.