Karhali/Amritsar, August 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Miri Piri Khalsa March, which began from Sri Akal Takht Sahib, resumed its second phase on Saturday from Gurdwara Sahib Patshahi Ninth at Karhali in Patiala and proceeded towards Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib, Patiala, amid traditional Sikh observances.
Before the march began, a bhog of Sri Akhand Path Sahib was held for the release and Chardi Kala of Bandi Singhs who have remained incarcerated for prolonged periods. Sri Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj offered the ardas, while Giani Baljit Singh recited the sacred Hukamnama.
Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj said Bandi Singhs were “national treasures” and that the Sikh community as a whole continued to work for their release. He said several of them had remained in prison even after completing their legal sentences, with some having spent more than three decades behind bars.
He said continued incarceration despite the completion of legal sentences raised serious questions about the application of legal and constitutional rights. The Jathedar stressed that the issue was not limited to any individual or organisation but was connected with the sentiments of the entire Sikh community.
Referring to the prayer programmes organised by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), he said such initiatives helped create awareness among the community about the sacrifices of the prisoners and the alleged injustice faced by them.
SGPC president Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami said Bandi Singhs had spent decades in prison after choosing the path of struggle against what they considered injustice towards Sikhs. He alleged that governments had continued to discriminate against them.
Dhami said the Sikh community was not seeking preferential treatment or comparing Bandi Singhs with others, but demanding equal application of the law.
“If the law is the same for everyone, its application should also be the same,” he said, alleging that people serving sentences for serious offences were granted parole several times a year, while Bandi Singhs faced difficulties even in obtaining short-term parole.
He specifically referred to Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara, saying he had not been granted even a few days to meet his ailing mother, and also criticised the government’s approach to Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana’s case.
During the opening programme, Giani Baljit Singh, granthi of Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib, delivered a katha-vichar and shared historical perspectives with the congregation, while urging devotees to follow a life guided by Gurmat principles.
SGPC office-bearers, former minister Prem Singh Chandumajra, religious personalities, officials and a large number of devotees participated in the programme and the march.
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