Fatehgarh Sahib: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday paid obeisance at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib, where a three-day Shaheedi Sabha, or martyrdom congregation, is underway. The annual congregation is held from December 25 to 27 in the memory of Sahibzades Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh, the younger sons of the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, and their grandmother Mata Gujri. Mann, accompanied by his wife, bowed his head to the unparalleled martyrdom of the ‘Chhote Sahibzadas’ and Mata Gujri. Highlighting the significance of the days of Shaheedi Sabha, Mann said all of Punjab observes these days as “days of mourning,” as it was during this period that the tyrant rulers bricked alive the younger Sahibzadas. Nearly 50 lakh devotees visit Fatehgarh Sahib during the Shaheedi Sabha to seek blessings at the holy shrine, he added.

Interacting with the media persons after paying obeisance, Mann said these great sacrifices remain unmatched in history and will continue to inspire future generations to resist tyranny, oppression, and injustice. “Every inch of this sacred land is blessed, drawing countless devotees who come to bow before this holy place. This pious soil is a source of inspiration not only for Sikhs but for the entire human race,” he said.

On the controversy surrounding the naming of the younger Sahibzadas’ martyrdom day as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’, Mann said when the decision was first taken by the BJP-led union government, the Shiromani Akali Dal publicly supported it through a tweet.

However, he said that now under public pressure, the party has now taken a U-turn. “The supreme sacrifice of the Sahibzadas cannot be expressed in words or attached to a specific day. The Akali Dal’s reversal proves that the party is not sincere toward religion or heritage,” he alleged.

Acting Jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj had written to Sikh Members of Parliament in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, urging them to ask the Centre to change the name of the martyrdom day of younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh from ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ to ‘Sahibzade Shahadat Diwas.’

SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal had also asked the Centre to observe the martyrdom day of Sahibzadas as ‘Sahibzade Shahadat Diwas, instead of ‘Veer Bal Diwas’, saying it misrepresents Sikh ethos and tenets.

Referring to the sacrifice of Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh, CM Mann noted that their supreme act to uphold the human right to follow one’s faith according to conscience stands unparalleled in human history.