A cultural event in Srinagar to mark the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur has sparked criticism, especially from Sikh organisations. The event, organised by Punjab Language Department on Thursday, included a performance by singer Bir Singh. A video from the event shows some people in the audience dancing, which many found disrespectful.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday strongly objected to the “singing and dancing” on the occasion. SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami in a statement said the event went against the sanctity of the sacrifice of Guru Teg Bahadur and hurt Sikh sentiments.
“Any event organised to mark this centenary must align with Sikh traditions, reverence, restraint, and the spirit of Gurbani. By turning this solemn occasion into an entertainment affair, the language department of Punjab has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community,” he said.
“This is why the SGPC has always maintained that Sikh centenary events and festivals must be organised by Sikh institutions, not governments, as official departments lack the sensitivity to follow the Sikh code of conduct,” he added.
He called on the Punjab Chief Minister to look into the matter and urged the government to restrict itself to supportive responsibilities for such events. He also urged the government to ensure that this doesn’t happen again and sought a public apology from the Punjab government. He said the government should issue clear guidelines to prevent such occurrences in the future.
After the backlash, singer Bir Singh issued an apology. He said he wasn’t informed clearly about the nature of the event and that he had “committed the mistake unknowingly”. He said he had sent an apology to the Akal Takht jathedar, adding that “I will accept whatever tankhah (religious punishment) is awarded to me by the Akal Takht. I cannot do anything which goes against Panth. I will be careful in future.”
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