Sri Akal Takht Sahib to Hold Prayer Ceremony at Harike Pattan for Sikh Martyrs and Justice for Victims' Families

Sri Akal Takht Sahib will hold a special prayer ceremony (Ardas) at Harike Pattan today in memory of Sikh martyrs and to pray for justice for affected families. The event will take place on the banks of the Sutlej River on July 14, 2026. Announcing the programme, Sri Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj said the event is dedicated to the memory of innocent youths who, according to him, were killed by the police during the tenure of the then government in Punjab, and whose cases were brought to light by Shaheed Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra. He said the gathering will also include prayers seeking justice for the affected families. The Jathedar stated that a collective prayer has never been held to remember the innocent youths, women, elderly people and children who, according to him, were victims of government and police excesses in Punjab. He said many affected mothers and sisters still do not know what happened to their sons and brothers. He added that it is important for the truth about what happened in Punjab to come before the world and for the affected families to receive justice. Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj invited victims' families, mothers, sisters, brothers, social activists, lawyers and individuals working to protect human rights to participate in the event. He said the invitation also extends to those who suffered during the events of 1984 and the following decades, as well as those for whom Shaheed Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra campaigned. He further appealed to the families of victims in cases where police officials were convicted by the CBI court in Mohali to attend the programme. He urged the Sikh community to gather in remembrance of the departed souls through Gurbani recitation, Kirtan and Ardas, while praying to the Almighty to grant strength to the affected families in their pursuit of justice. According to the Jathedar, the prayer ceremony will begin at 6:00 pm on July 14, 2026, on the banks of the Sutlej River at Harike Pattan, at a location where, according to the statement, the bodies of innocent youths who were killed were allegedly disposed of in the river. The programme will be organised by Sri Akal Takht Sahib with the support of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). As part of the ceremony, Sri Guru Granth Sahib will be ceremonially installed in a Palki Sahib, followed by the recitation of Sri Sukhmani Sahib, Gurbani Kirtan and the concluding Ardas.