TAXILA: Over 200 Indian Sikh pilgrims are scheduled to arrive in Hassanabdal to offer their religious rituals in connection with Saka Punja Sahib centenary celebrations.

It would be the first time in the history of Pakistan that a religious function in connection with ‘Shaheedi Saka’ is scheduled to be held in Hassanabdal, which witnessed unprecedented sacrifices by Sikhs in 1922 during the Gurdwara reforms movement.

Gulbeer Singh, the caretaker at Gurdwara Punja Sahib, while describing the significance and importance of the event said on Oct 30, 1922, the British authorities were taking a train to imprison peacefully protesting members of the Sikh community in remote and distant jails with repressive measures.

Upon finding this out, the Sikh community in Punja Sahib decided to stop the train and offer food to those on board but the local authorities refused to stop the train at Hassanabdal railway station.

Over 200 Sikh pilgrims scheduled to arrive from New Delhi

Therefore, members of the Sikh community sat on the train track.

The train did not stop and some of the protesters were killed after being hit by the train.

This tragedy created a deep resentment among people, which gave new strength to the freedom movement.

In memory of these martyrs, before partition, this event was observed every year at Hassanabdal from Oct 30 to Nov 2.

Gulbeer Singh said religious rituals under gurbani kirtan samagam would also be observed at Hassanabdal railway station to pay homage to the men and women who laid down their lives at the railway line in October 1922.

He said Saka Punja Sahib is an important chapter of Sikh sacrifices, adding that the Saka had stopped a train carrying hungry Sikh prisoners of Guru Ka Bagh Morcha, by sitting on the tracks.

Bhai Karam Singh and Bhai Partap Singh had died and several others were injured in this incident.

Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Deputy Administrator Yousaf Niazi told journalists that as per the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, 40 pilgrims would participate in the event while the remaining 200 would join from different parts of the country.

He said a delegation of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) also visited Pakistan and discussed preparations of centenary events of Shaheedi Saka.

“Along with the main congregation at Gurdwara Punja Sahib, as scheduled on Oct 30, there is also a plan to hold a one-hour kirtan darbar at the railway station to pay tributes to victims,” he said, adding that the pilgrims would return home on Nov 2.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2022