As the Punjab Government gears up to observe the 350th martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur from November 20 to 26 at Anandpur Sahib, the programme has been marred by a political controversy.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has refused to allow its gurdwara premises to be used by the state government for official functions.
The District Commissioner of Ropar Kulbir Singh Sidhu has recalled how a similar political tussle erupted in 1999 when the then SAD-BJP government was celebrating 300th year of the Khalsa Panth, among other grand religious functions — the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa in 1999. It was organised by the SAD-BJP government led by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
Speaking to The Tribune, Sidhu said, “In the middle of the preparations, I received a call from Mrs Badal, wife of the then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
“She directed me to demolish the political stage erected by then SGPC president and SAD leader Gurcharan Singh Tohra,” he said.
Sidhu said the instruction left him perplexed. “I tried to contact the Chief Minister, but he was away on my calls. Eventually, I managed to speak to him. He advised me to consult his party members. When I informed him about Mrs Badal’s direction and sought clarity, he told me to decide on my own,” he recounted.
Caught between orders from the CM’s household and the potential of unrest, Sidhu reasoned that any attempt to remove the stage could spark violent clashes between rival Akali factions loyal to Badal and Tohra.
“I explained that it could lead to bloodshed during such a sacred occasion. Only then did the CM relent and asked me not to disturb the arrangements,” he said.
Sidhu said during the same event, the administration also received an intelligence alert of a possible bomb threat. “By Guru’s grace, the event passed off peacefully,” he said. The bureaucracy later described the 1999 celebrations as a model of cooperation between the state government, SGPC and the Union Government.
“Deputy commissioners from neighbouring Himachal districts were also deputed to ensure smooth functioning,” Sidhu recalled, stressing that “the success of that event lay in collective coordination, not confrontation”.
Drawing parallels with the current situation, Sidhu advised the AAP government to adopt the same collaborative spirit.
“For the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the government must bring the SGPC and the Union Government on board. These events are beyond politics, being occasions of faith and heritage,” he said.
— Kulbir Singh Sidhu, former Ropar DC