Why Sikh bodies have urged Punjab govt to retain spiritual focus in its messaging for Guru Tegh Bahadur’s martyrdom anniversary

“Guru Tegh Bahadur’s supreme sacrifice was for the protection of dharam (faith and righteousness), not as part of any political or human rights movement,” said a senior member of a Sikh organisation that is organising the commemorative event. “It was an act rooted in divine command and spiritual duty, centuries before human rights were even codified,” he said. Sikh scholars referred to it as a sacrifice for faith, not a political protest.

Divine nature of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s sacrifice

Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed in 1675 in Delhi on the orders of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb after he refused to convert to Islam and stood in defence of the Kashmiri Pandits’ right to practise their faith freely. His martyrdom has since been commemorated as one of the most profound acts of religious and moral courage in world history.

Sikh scholar and legislative expert Gurcharanjit Singh Lamba said, “Guru Gobind Singh-ji, in the Bachittar Natak, explicitly recorded the divine nature of his father’s sacrifice: ‘Tilak janju rakha prabh taka, kino bado kalu meh saka. Sadhan het iti jinh kari, sis diya par sir na uchari. Dharam het saka jin kiya, sis diya par sirar na diya. (He protected the tilak and the sacred thread worn by Brahmins till his last breath. In this dark age, he made a great sacrifice. For the sake of righteousness, he performed an unparalleled deed)’.”

These verses leave no doubt, scholars point out, that Guru Tegh Bahadur’s martyrdom was not for personal or political reasons but solely for the defence of faith and righteousness.

“In world history, there exists no other example where a person gave his life for the religious freedom of others,” said a Sikh academic.

Sikh Gurus, starting with Guru Nanak Dev, were devoted to upholding dharam and resisting oppression. Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, wrote of his predecessor’s divine mission: “Tin bediyan ke kul bhaye pargate Nanak rai, jin eh kal mo dharam chalayo, sabh sadhan ko rah batayo (From the clan of Bedis, Guru Nanak appeared as the enlightened sovereign, who in this dark age established the path of true righteousness and showed the way of all spiritual practices).”

This mission, say scholars, culminated in Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji’s ultimate act of defending the freedom of conscience — a value that would, centuries later, become enshrined in the world’s human rights frameworks.

Human Rights: A later reflection of Guru’s vision

Lamba says that it was 273 years after Guru Tegh Bahadur’s execution that the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. Article 18 of this declaration states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

This principle — the right to faith and conscience — is the very ideal for which Guru Tegh Bahadur laid down his life, he says, adding that in that sense, his martyrdom prefigured modern human rights thought by nearly three centuries. However, Lamba stresses that his act was spiritual, not political.

“To call it merely a struggle for human rights is to understate its sacred dimension,” another Sikh theologian said. “Guru-ji’s offering was made in obedience to hukam (divine will) and out of compassion for the oppressed, not in pursuit of worldly recognition.”

“Guru Tegh Bahadur-ji’s sacrifice reminds humanity that the right to faith is sacred and that one may give up one’s life, but not one’s conscience,” said a scholar from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

In a world still struggling with intolerance and coercion, the guru’s example continues to illuminate the path of moral courage and interfaith respect. His martyrdom was, and remains, dharam het saka (a sacrifice for faith itself), not a slogan of rights but a living testament to the freedom of the soul.

‘Human rights are a modern construct; dharam, an eternal principle’

Under the Indian Constitution too, Articles 25-28 guarantee the freedom to practice any religion. Yet, Sikh thinkers underline that Guru Tegh Bahadur’s martyrdom transcends legalistic ideas of rights. “Human rights are a modern legal construct; dharam is an eternal principle,” noted one scholar. “Guru Sahib stood for the divine right to faith — not a human petition to authority.”

This is why Sikh organisations have requested that the government’s messaging around the anniversary remain true to the spiritual context. “It is important to respect the difference,” the spokesperson of a Sikh organisation said. “The guru’s martyrdom aligns with the spirit of human rights, but it must not be reduced to it.”

During the preparatory meetings for the commemoration, several Sikh groups also raised concerns over the visual representation of Guru Tegh Bahadur in official posters and hoardings. While the traditional prakash chakkar (halo) around the guru was absent in some materials issued by the Punjab government, it appeared in those released by the Centre and the Haryana government.

“The omission of the halo is disrespectful and must be corrected,” one Sikh body stated, adding, “While idols are prohibited in gurdwaras, the portraits of Guru Sahiban with the prakash chakkar are integral to Sikh tradition and are displayed even at Sri Harmandir Sahib.”

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