Akal Takht jathedar writes to Sikh MPs, wants 'Veer Bal Diwas' to be changed to 'Sahibzade Shahadat Diwas'

Amritsar, Dec 8 (PTI) The acting jathedar of the Akal Takht, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaaj, has written a letter to the Sikh members of Parliament, urging them to ask the government to change the name of the martyrdom day of the younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh from "Veer Bal Diwas" to "Sahibzade Shahadat Diwas".

December 26 is observed as "Veer Bal Diwas".

The letter is addressed to Lok Sabha MP from Fatehgarh Sahib Amar Singh, Lok Sabha MP from Amritsar Gurjeet Singh, Rajya Sabha MP and Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh, Lok Sabha MP from Bathinda Harsimrat Kaur, Lok Sabha MP from Anandpur Sahib Malwinder Singh, Lok Sabha MP from Gurdaspur Sukhjinder Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh and Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur Gurmeet Singh.

Besides, the letter has also been addressed to Lok Sabha MP from Ferozepur Sher Singh, Lok Sabha MP from Faridkot Sarabjit Singh, Lok Sabha MP from Jalandhar Charanjit Singh, Lok Sabha MP from Sri Khadoor Sahib Amritpal Singh and Lok Sabha MP from Ludhiana Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.

The letter says since 2022, the government of India has been observing the martyrdom day of the sahibzadas as "Veer Bal Diwas".

Many devotees have written to the Sri Akal Takht Sahib, objecting to this nomenclature and demanding that the government change the name.

On the instructions of the Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has already sent recommendations to the Centre, urging that the day be renamed according to Sikh sentiments and terminology as "Sahibzade Shahadat Diwas".

However, the government is yet to take the matter seriously, the letter says.

The jathedar of the Akal Takht Sahib has urged all MPs to strongly represent Sikh sentiments in Parliament and put pressure on the Centre to officially declare the martyrdom day of the sahibzadas as "Sahibzade Shahadat Diwas". PTI JMS CHS RC