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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)
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