Pakistani Sikhs Pay Tribute to Babbar Akalis; Pray For Release of Sikh Political Prisoners

NANKANA SAHIB, Pakistan—Sikh Sangat of Sri Nankana Sahib organized a special function to pay tribute to the martyrdom of S. Kishan Singh Garhgaj (founder of Babbar Akali Lehar) and his companions, who happily accepted the path to sacrifice their lives by getting executed on February, 27 of 1926. Hazoori Ragi Bhai Sant Singh acquainted the devotees by singing divine scripts of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.  Giani Janam Singh explained the history of Babbar Akali Lehar and said that current Akali Leadership of Eastern Punjab have forgotten the sacrifices of their ancestors.

Pakistan Sikhs Take Firm Stand on Release of Sikh Political Prisoners

Giani Janam Singh said that “expecting the release of Sikh detainees from Akali Government in eastern Punjab is like expecting milk from a bull.”  Referring to Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa and his supporteres, he added, “Sikhs who struggle for the release of Sikh detainees are being continuously harassed by the so-called Akali Government.”  Referring to the common saying that nobody can kill a Sikh beside God or a traitor Sikh, he said that count of traitors in the Sikh Community has risen to an abnormal level. He said that even the media persons of Punjab are being targeted by the Akali Government.  

He said that on the occasion on 100^th Anniversary of Sri Nankana Sahib, when the historians will go through this tenure of Akali Dal, they will be helpless in elaborating it as the “Journey of Akali Dal from Gallantness to Traitorship’.

He said that we are blessed in Pakistan that we are observing the martyrdom of traditional Akalis in Sri Nankana Sahib. He said that all Sikhs across the world pray for their longing for seva of Nankana Sahib twice a day. Referring the famous lines of a poet, Giani Janam Singh said that “power of a community lies in its martyrs, not in count.”

He said that today we are paying tribute to the Akali workers who were executed on February 27, 1926. Jathedar Kishan Singh Garhgaj, Babu Singh Shoti Harion, Bhai Dilip Singh Dhamian, Bhai Karam Singh Haripur, Bhai Nand Singh Ghurhial and Bhai Dharam Singh Hayatpur were the ones who sacrificed their lives for the cause of Sikh nation. It is notable that Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee is constructing a martyrdom place in memory of Shaheed Bhai Dilip Singh and Shaheed Bhai Waryam Singh. Foundation stone of a library in memory of these Singhs is also being laid, which will provide information about Sikh history to the future generations.

Paying tribute to the sacrifices of these martyrs, Chairman of Punjabi Sikh Sangat S. Gopal Singh Chawla said that S. Kishan Singh Garhgaj had said in his last lecture that we are blessed that we are standing in queue of those freedom fighters who are being executed for the freedom of our nation. He said in his lecture that we are happier than our enemy as we are about to fulfill our promises towards our nation.

Pakistan Sikh Leaders Talk About The Lives of Babbar Akalis

Gurmastak Singh Khalsa and Paramjit Singh presented poems to Sikh Sangat. Bhai Prem Singh served the role of stage secretary. Former President of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhik Committee S. Bishan Singh said that we should make efforts to organize functions to mark the martyrdom of our martyrs as these functions inject the new generation with spirit of sacrifice. Paying homage to the martyrs of Sri Nankana Sahib, he said that S. Kishan Singh Garhgaj and his companions sacrificed their lives following the path enlightened by Fifth Guru Arjan Dev Ji. It is notable that these martyrs had performed Nitnem jointly in morning of February 27, 1927, before their execution.  

These leaders said that the light of one almighty lord was notable on the faces of these martyrs. “The six brave fighters stood on the execution ground like they were being photographed before challenging death.  All this made the jail superintendent emotional and S. Kishan Singh Garhgaj said while addressing him that you are weeping because you have experienced the slavery of state and our faces are laughing because the light of freedom is glowing inside us.”

After the function, Sikh Sangat performed ardas for the high spirit of Sikh Panth and for the release of Sikh political prisoners. The devotees lighted candles in the memory of Akali Babbars in the martyrdom places of Shaheed Bhai Lachhman Singh and Shaheed Bhai Wariam Singh.