Sikh Research Institute

08/13/2026

Why does it seem that only men lead Sikh prayer services?
What has happened is there are cultural influences and personal biases; the larger hegemonic culture plays a role. This is not a product of Sikh ethos when women are either not allowed or are not being empowered to take certain leadership positions.

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Harinder Singh

What has happened is there are cultural influences and personal bia...

08/12/2026

Today in History:
Sikhs used wood from a small forest for the Guru ka Bagh gurduara langar. The Mahant, who controlled the land, complained to the British government. Consequently, on 9 August 1922, five Sikhs were arrested on trespass charges and swiftly sentenced to six months of hard labor.
Beginning on 12 August, the SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) decided to send a group of 5 Sikhs, known as a jatha, every day to cut down wood for the langar and purposely get arrested.

From 31 August, the number of Sikhs courting arrests increased to 100 daily. The British responded with violence. Despite the beatings inflicted upon them by the British police, the Sikhs maintained their dignity, singing Bani and remaining peaceful. The beatings finally ceased on 13 September, when the British began arresting the Sikhs instead. With larger and larger jathas arriving, the number of jailed Sikhs from the Guru ka Bagh Morcha exceeded 10,000. Finally, on 16 November of that year, the British relented, and the land of the gurduara was handed over to the Panth (Sikh community).

C.F. Andrews, an English missionary, witnessed the beatings of Sikhs and described it as if "hundreds of Christs were being crucified."

08/12/2026

Sidak is more than a space for learning. It is a space to deepen our relationship with Sikhi, ask meaningful questions, and grow into the responsibilities of leadership.

Over these days, participants have learned together, reflected deeply, built relationships, and experienced the power of community. These moments are not simply memories—they are part of preparing a generation to carry Sikh thought, values, and leadership forward.

Because the future of the Panth is shaped by how we learn, lead, and serve today.

This is why Sidak matters.
Sikhi. Leadership. Community. The future of the Panth.

To learn more about Sidak, visit: https://social.sikhri.org/sidak2026-fb

08/11/2026

Today in History:
On this day in 1984, Santa Singh, the head of the Budha Dal Nihangs, held a Sarbat Khalsa at Akal Takht Sahib. The Indian Army was still occupying the Sri Harimandar Sahib Complex. The Sarbat Khalsa was sponsored and organized by the Panjab and Indian governments. Sikh sangats (congregations) refused to attend what they called a Sarkari Sarbat Khalsa, and most attendees were Buddha Dal Nihang members and Congress government workers.

The Sarbat Khalsa was conducted in response to Santa Singh's expulsion from the Panth on 22nd July by the Singh Sahibs of the Takhts. It aimed to justify Santa Singh's sponsorship of the reconstruction of Akal Takht Sahib, which was intended to conceal the government's destruction of the Takht during the Battle of Amritsar in June 1984. The actual reconstruction of the Takht was carried out by Skipper Builders, owned by Tejwant Singh. It was funded by the Panjab and Indian governments, with the Nihangs being used as a cover to give legitimacy to the government's actions.

Singh Sahibs called for a World Sikh Convention as a response on 2nd September 1984. The Indian President Giani Zail Singh and Minister Buta Singh were declared Tankhaiyia (chastised) during the event. In January 1986, a Sarbat Khalsa was called. The sangat came out in huge numbers, and the government-built Akal Takht was condemned and subsequently destroyed.

08/11/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Akal Takht Sahib: Vision, Model, & Current Challenges in Surrey, BC.

The evening brought together students, community members, and seekers for a thoughtful conversation on the vision of the Akal Takht Sahib, its place as the highest seat of Sikh sovereignty, the realities it faces today, and our collective responsibility in shaping its future.

Through Harinder Singh's presentation and the engaging Q&A that followed, participants reflected on history, asked meaningful questions, and explored what it means for the Akal Takht Sahib to function with independence and integrity.

Our gratitude to the Sikh Student Association at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, the UBC Sikh Students' Association, SFU Sikh Students' Association & Free Akal Takht for partnering with us to make this conversation possible.

May these reflections continue beyond the seminar and inspire deeper learning, dialogue, and action.

Upcoming Event:
Guru Gobind Singh Sahib: Life, Vision & Wisdom - Reflections on the Tenth Sovereign
Los Olivos Community Center, Irvine, CA (Sept 12) – Register today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guru-gobind-singh-sahib-life-vision-wisdom-tickets-1995471259253?aff=facebook

08/10/2026

Today in History:
On this day in 1986, Bhai Harjinder Singh Jinda and Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sukha, members of the Khalistan Commando Force, deliver justice to General Vaidya, the head of the Indian army during the attack on the Sri Harimandar Sahib Complex and the subsequent Battle of Amritsar of June 1984.

Sukha and Jinda, as they are popularly known, were also involved in delivering justice to perpetrators of the genocide of November 1984 and other Indian government officials responsible for human rights abuses against Sikhs. Sukha and Jinda were later captured, tried, and executed by the Indian state. They remained in chardi kala (soaring spirit of optimism and joy) until their last, never apologizing for what they did, stating they had a moral obligation to deliver justice to those who had harmed Sikhs.

08/10/2026

In the thirtieth salok (couplet), Guru Nanak Sahib uses the letter ਰ (‘rārā’) to convey that IkOankar (the Divine) pervades every being created in this vast universe. While all creatures are engaged in worldly affairs by the Divine Command, only those graced by IkOankar contemplate and reflect on the Nam (Divine-Identification).

This pervasiveness of the Divine is a reality we often forget, as we get caught up in counting, categorizing, and questioning creation. This salok urges us to move beyond such concerns and instead experience the presence of IkOankar within all life, accepting the Divine Command as operating through everything. Will we become learned by recognizing this unity? Will we identify with IkOankar and feel the grace of this realization?

Explore Patti (Mahala 1): https://bit.ly/patti-m1-30-fb

08/10/2026

Today in History:
On this day in 1922, the Babbar Akali Lehar was formally launched. The Akali movement had begun in 1919 as a response to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre and the pro-British policies of Gurduara Mahants. A movement to free Gurduaras from British-backed Mahant control was started.

The Akali movement was strictly non-violent. However, after the massacre at Nankana Sahib in 1921, when over 250 Sikhs were slaughtered by the Mahants and their hired goons, some Sikhs thought that the policy of peaceful non-cooperation was no longer viable and that Sikhs should strike back against the British and their collaborators with force.

Given the title Gargaj for his thunderous speeches, Jathedar Kishan Singh first began the Chakravarti Jatha to fight against the British in 1921. In August of 1922, the Chakravarti Jatha joined with another Jatha led by Bhai Karam Singh of Daulatpur and formally became the Babbar Akalis, with Kishan Singh Gargaj as its Jathedar. Many of its members were former Ghaddari Babai and were World War I veterans and/or emigres who had returned from Canada.

The Babbar Akalis started targeting British officials and those who collaborated with them. The British government came down hard on the Babbars, and by 1924 most of its members had been killed in encounters with police or were on trial. On 27 February 1926, six leaders of the movement, including Jathedar Kishan Singh, were hanged by the British, becoming Shahids. Though the movement was short-lived, it profoundly impacted the anti-colonial struggle and demonstrated that the warrior spirit of the Khalsa was still alive.

08/09/2026

ਬੰਦਗੀ
bandagī | Transcription
Bandagi | Popular Spelling

devotion, worship.

Learn More: https://bit.ly/tggsd

08/08/2026

Today in History:
On this day in 1881, Lord Ripon, Governor-General of India (the head of the colonial infrastructure in South Asia), wrote, “I think it would be politically dangerous to allow the management of Sikh temples to fall into the hands of a committee emancipated from government control…”. This statement was a reiteration of a persistent pattern from the earliest days of British rule, whereby the government interfered in the operations of Sikh institutions. This demonstrated that the British intended to ensure that Sikhs did not take control of their Gurduaras.

Forty years later, the launch of the anti-colonial “Gurdwara Reform” movement sought to end British interference in Sikh institutions and bring Gurduaras under sangat (congregation) control. The movement naturally evolved into a larger anti-colonial struggle against British rule in South Asia.