‘Song & dance' at Guru Tegh Bahadur martyrdom event latest flashpoint in Punjab govt, SGPC tussle

The Print

27-07-2025

The two-day event starting Wednesday was organised in collaboration with the Jammu & Kashmir government's Academy of Art, Culture and Languages. Popular folk singer Bir Singh was invited to present religious and 'sufi' songs to commemorate the guru's martyrdom.
While the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) termed it 'deeply painful', the Akal Takht, the highest temporal body of the Sikhs, summoned Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains and director of language department Jaswant Singh Zafar in the matter Saturday.
Chandigarh: A 'solemn and spiritual' musical event organised by the Punjab government's language department in Srinagar to commemorate 350 years of the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur has sparked outrage in the state after a video of the audience dancing to folk songs there went viral on social media.
Bains and Zafar have been asked to appear before the assembly of the five Singh Sahiban (high priests) on 1 August to present their clarification.
Accepting the summons, Bains wrote on X Saturday that he will present himself before the Akal Takht like a humble Sikh. He said he accepted responsibility for what happened and sought forgiveness.
ਸਚਾ ਆਪਿ ਤਖਤੁ ਸਚਾ ਬਹਿ ਸਚਾ ਕਰੇ ਨਿਆਉ॥
ਧੰਨ ਧੰਨ ਬੰਦੀਛੋੜ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਸਾਜੇ ਸੱਚੇ ਤਖਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ ਤਖਤ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦੇ ਅੱਗੇ ਹਰ ਸਿੱਖ ਦਾ ਸਿਰ ਅਦਬ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਝੁਕਦਾ ਹੈ। ਦਾਸ ਵੀ ਨਿਮਾਣਾ ਜਿਹਾ ਸਿੱਖ ਹੋਣ ਦੇ ਨਾਤੇ ਰੋਮ-ਰੋਮ ਕਰਕੇ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ ਤਖਤ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਨੂੰ ਸਮਰਪਿਤ ਹੈ।
ਬੀਤੇ ਦਿਨੀਂ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਪੰਜਾਬ…
— Harjot Singh Bains (@harjotbains) July 26, 2025
Bir Singh, too, issued an unconditional apology Friday claiming 'unintentional oversight' about the event. He said he sent a letter of apology to the Akal Takht. Later in the day, he presented himself before the Akal Takht at the Golden Temple complex to seek forgiveness.
Zafar did not respond to multiple phone calls and messages from ThePrint. However, he shared through WhatsApp the invitation letter sent by the Punjab language department to Bir Singh dated 14 July where it is clearly mentioned that he has to sing the bani of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Sufi songs. Zafar did not reply to the specific query on whether he was present at the evening programme in Srinagar Thursday.
When contacted, Harvinder Kour, secretary, J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, told ThePrint that the academy had a limited role to play in the organisation of the event.
'The matter has been brought to my notice and we are looking into it,' she said, adding that Srinagar has a strong Sikh community and many enthusiastically participated in the two-day event of the Punjab government.
The controversy over the event has erupted amid ongoing tensions between Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the SGPC over who will organise the main events to commemorate 350 years of martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur this November.
Earlier this week, Mann had announced that the Punjab government will host a series of grand events to mark the occasion, to which the SGPC objected, pointing out that it was 'solely entitled' to host such events and the state government organising parallel events amounted to interference in religious matters. In response, Mann had quipped that the SGPC did not have a 'copyright' over religious events.
Guru Tegh Bahadur, ninth Guru of the Sikhs, was executed on orders of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi on 24 November, 1675. Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib were built to mark the place of execution and cremation of the guru.
The execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur is considered a most solemn event, and one that changed the course of Sikh history, culminating in the creation of the Khalsa (a distinct Sikh order) in 1699 by his son, Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th guru of the Sikhs.
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'Solemn occasion turned into entertainment'
On Wednesday, Bains along with Zafar released a book on Guru Tegh Bahadur's life while honouring prominent Sikh residents of Srinagar at Tagore Hall.
Speaking to mediapersons after the event, Bains said the event was part of a series of grand events planned by the Punjab government. 'Today, a poetry session has been held and tomorrow, renowned singer Bir Singh will be staging a religious show,' he said.
However, things didn't turn out as planned. A video of Singh's show went viral Friday evening, showing him singing folk songs and members of the audience leaving their chairs and dancing in a festive mood. Reacting to it, SGPC said that the Sikh code of conduct had been violated at the event and demanded an apology from the Punjab government.
'The presentation at the government event struck a blow to both the concept of martyrdom and the revered Sikh code of conduct (gurmat maryada),' SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said in a press statement.
He pointed out that the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur holds a unique and unparalleled place in the religious history of the world.
'Therefore, any event organised to mark this centenary must align strictly with Sikh traditions, reverence, restraint and the spirit of gurbani. However, by turning this solemn occasion into an entertainment affair, the language department of Punjab has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community,' said Dhami.
He reiterated that this is why the SGPC has maintained that Sikh centenary events and festivals should be organised by Sikh institutions, not governments, as official departments lack the sensitivity and understanding to follow the Sikh code of conduct appropriately.
Faced with flak on social media following the video, Singh issued a video apology on Instagram. He said that he had landed in Srinagar directly from Australia and his mobile phone had stopped functioning.
'It is my management's fault that they did not apprise me properly about the event,' he said, adding that he was equally to be blamed for what happened.
'Before I got up on stage, many from the audience told me about hardships that they to undergo on a daily basis and requested that I sing some light numbers. However, we realised our mistake while the event was on and ended the show with a special prayer for which we asked the audience to remove their shoes and cover their heads,' he added.
On Saturday, while summoning Bains and Zafar, Akal Takht jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj said in a press statement that it is for the first time that an event commemorating the martyrdom shatabdi (centenary) of a Guru Sahib began with songs, dance, and entertainment, which was entirely unacceptable.
He noted that the 1 August gathering will deliberate on panthic and religious matters, and both Bains and Zafar have been summoned to present their versions. He also mentioned that Bir Singh had appeared before the Akal Takht and tendered an apology, which too would be taken into consideration during the assembly of the five high priests.
War of words
Bains in a press conference Monday had announced the series of events to commemorate the 350th death anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur. He said from 19 to 25 November, four yatras will begin from different places and converge at Sri Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, for which the city would be beautified. He added that light and sound shows, poetry sessions, seminars and symposiums on the guru's life and sacrifice will be organised across the state.
SGPC reacted, objecting to the government organising separate events to mark the occasion.
In a statement Monday, Dhami said the government was interfering in religious affairs. 'The SGPC, as the premier religious body of the Sikh community, is solely entitled to organise such historic centenary events, with the support of Sikh organisations and the sangat (pilgrims). The primary role of the government is to provide administrative assistance for the convenience of pilgrims—not to interfere in religious affairs,' he stated.
He pointed out that previous Akali-led state governments set a precedent by offering administrative aid without encroaching on the religious domain. Similarly, during the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, Bihar government extended full infrastructural support while religious responsibilities were handled by the relevant Sikh bodies.
He added that if the government plans to paint Anandpur Sahib white to mark the event, put up tents or provide other necessary infrastructure for the sangat, SGPC would welcome such initiatives. 'However, organising events in parallel to a central Sikh religious institution is not acceptable,' he said.
Taking a dig at the SGPC, Mann said at a press conference Tuesday that the religious outfit did not have a copyright over the Sikh religion. 'When the Shiromani Akali Dal government in the state was organising religious centenary events, then the SGPC never said that they were interfering in religious affairs,' said the CM.
SGPC retorted to the CM alleging that the government seemed to be 'deliberately trying to sideline Sikh institutions'.
'Historically, centenary celebrations related to Sikh heritage and history have been led by the Khalsa Panth, with participation from all Sikh sampradas and organisations while the governments supported them,' Dhami said in a fresh statement.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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