Religious discourses were held on both sides of the India-Pakistan border to mark the sacrifice of over 150 Sikhs, who were killed by mercenaries of the British-backed custodian of Nankana Sahib Gurdwara on February 20, 1921.The Sikhs were brutally martyred when they contested to liberate the birth place of Guru Nanak Dev from their possession under the Gurdwara Reform Movement during the British rule.This was the first massive pre-Partition agitation organised by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to take control of gurdwaras from the mahants backed by the British.At the Nankana Sahib shrine, now in Pakistan, devotees from overseas — including the UK, US and Canada — participated in a religious programme on Friday.Rai Saleem Akram Bhatti, a lawyer at the Lahore High Court and the descendant of Rai Bular Bhatti, who had gifted land to Guru Nanak Dev, said that a gathering of around 150-200 devotees was there at the programme.“The devotee count goes up when Sikhs from India arrive,” he said.At the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, the SGPC organised programmes marking the occasion after a bhog of an akhand path was performed at Sri Manji Sahib Diwan Hall. Bhai Varinder Singh’s jatha performed recited Gurbani.Bhai Baljit Singh offered an ardas and a holy edict was read out by Bhai Harmitar Singh.A ceremony marking the occasion was organised at Shaheed Sikh Missionary College in Amritsar.Principal Bibi Manjit Kaur said the college, established in October 1927 to train Sikh preachers, was a memorial to the martyrs of the massacre.Meanwhile, students of the college performed kirtan.Bhai Gurjant Singh told the gathering about the events linked to the massacre.
