Amritsar (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains appeared before Sri Akal Takht Sahib on Tuesday to express regret over the recent controversy surrounding a government-organized event in Srinagar commemorating the martyrdom of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji.
The controversy stemmed from cultural performances, including Bhangra, that took place during the tribute event. The presence of folk music and dance in a program meant to honour the Sikh Guru drew widespread criticism from Sikh bodies and religious scholars for undermining the solemnity of the occasion.
Minister Bains acknowledged his lapse in judgment and admitted that he was present when the performances occurred but failed to intervene. “I did not stop the Bhangra performance, and I wholeheartedly apologize for my mistake,” he said during his appearance before the five Singh Sahibans at Sri Akal Takht Sahib.
As a result, the highest Sikh temporal authority imposed religious punishment (Tankhah) on Bains, along with directives for future government involvement in religious observances. The Akal Takht Sahib emphasized that while the state is welcome to support religious events, it must do so in consultation with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to ensure complete adherence to Sikh values and customs.
As part of the imposed religious service:
- Bains must walk to the palace of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and personally oversee the repair and construction of roads leading to the site.
- He is also directed to walk 100 meters from Gurdwara Kotha Sahib, supervise the completion of necessary infrastructure work, and offer a Deg (sacred food offering) worth ₹1,100 at Anandpur Sahib.
- Additionally, he will visit Gurdwara Sisganj Sahib in Delhi and perform sewa as part of his penance.
Other individuals involved in the Srinagar event, including Ranjit Singh of Jammu, Gopal Singh, and Som Nath Singh, have also been directed to undertake religious service. Ranjit Singh, in particular, is tasked with performing sewa of sweeping at a Gurdwara for 11 days, doing Nitnem daily, and donating ₹1,100 each to the Deg and Guru’s Golak.
The Akal Takht Sahib has reiterated that future events related to Sikh Gurus must be handled with spiritual sensitivity and organizational guidance from SGPC. The Punjab government has been urged to support such events through infrastructure development, but avoid direct cultural programming unless supervised by Sikh religious institutions.
This incident marks a critical reminder for public representatives and institutions to uphold religious sanctity in events commemorating Sikh history and to prioritize spiritual decorum above all.
