The High Commission of India along with Indo-British All-Party Parliamentary Group organised a seminar in the House of Commons on December 7 to commemorate the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singhji. Prominent Sikh leaders from across the country participated in the seminar titled ‘Life and teachings of Shri Guru Gobind Singhji.’ Members of Parliament, Councillors and members of Greater London Authority were present, in addition to senior representatives from Gurudwaras and Sikh community organisations.
Member of Parliament for Ealing, Southall and chairperson of Indo-British All-Party Parliamentary Group, Virendra Sharma thanked the High Commissioner for taking the lead on celebrating the great Guru’s contributions to humanity. He said that the Tenth Sikh Guru’s teachings have acquired a renewed significance for the youth in the UK in particular and appreciated this initiative by the High Commission to host a series of commemorative events marking this special year. Sharma also mentioned and sought support for a campaign launched by him calling the British government for an apology for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919.
High Commissioner Y K Sinha thanked the participants for coming from all parts of the country to take part in the seminar. He said that celebrations, which began by flagging off in Shri Patna Sahib by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were celebrated in a truly unprecedented manner all across the UK. The celebrations saw a series of firsts - many first visits to Gurudwaras, first-ever commemorative celebration with Sikh devotional music at India House, creation of a special commemorative photo-exhibition in association with Victoria and Albert Museum, and the first ever grand scale Baisakhi celebrations in April attended by around 20,000 people. He also mentioned that the High Commission has also organised plays and Sikh devotional music shows in many cities outside London.
As part of the celebrations, the High Commission also touched on issues like contributions of Sikhs in the two World Wars, especially as part of the Labour Corps under the India Unremembered project. High Commissioner said that Guru Gobind Singhji stood for fight against oppression and injustice. The first turbaned Sikh Member of Parliament Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Ms Ruth Cadbury, Member of Parliament, also spoke about the need to rededicate ourselves to the great Guru’s teachings.
A host of eminent speakers from all communities spoke on this special occasion. Some of the speakers were Prof. Mohinder Singh Bedi, Harjinder Singh Thekedar (President Miri Piri Gurudwara), Charan Kamal Sekhon (Sewa Trust UK), Anil Mehta (Deputy Advocate General, Haryana), Harbinder Singh (Director, Maharaja Duleep Singh Trust & Anglo-Sikh Heritage Trail), Rajinder Singh Bhasin (President, Shephard Bush Gurudwara), Omkar Sahota (Assembly Member, Greator London Authority), Manoj Joshi (Representative, Yorkshire Sikh Forum), Rami Ranger, and Surinder Singh Sohal (Ramgarhiya Sabha, Southall).
