Amritsar: Four pro-freedom Sikh organizations in Punjab—the Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara Committee, Dal Khalsa, Panch Pardhani Jatha of Panth Sewak personalities, and Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar (Mann)—came together on Monday (26 January 2026) to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the historic Sarbat Khalsa of 1986.
The joint conference was held near Gurdwara Santokhsar Sahib in Amritsar, where senior leaders of the four Panthic bodies addressed a large gathering. Speakers reflected on the legacy of the 1986 Sarbat Khalsa and discussed its relevance in the present political and global context.
Prof. Baljinder Singh, spokesperson of the Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara Committee, said that the Indian state is, in present times, attempting to dilute the distinct Sikh identity through policies of assimilation. He alleged that Sikhs are facing serious challenges in Punjab and across India, claiming that political, linguistic, cultural, and economic measures amounting to what he termed “systematic genocide” are being imposed on the Sikh community.
Former Member of Parliament and president of Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar (Mann), S. Simranjit Singh Mann, focused on Punjab’s economic condition. He stated that Punjab’s prosperity has been deliberately choked due to the blocking of traditional trade routes to Central Asia through the western borders. According to him, traders and farmers are suffering significant economic losses because such decisions are taken unilaterally, without the consent or participation of the Sikh people. Mann argued that India does not function as a participatory political system for Sikhs, asserting that the political framework currently in place is not what was promised to Sikhs at the time of Partition and the transfer of power in 1947.
Panth Sewak Bhai Daljit Singh of the Panch Pardhani Jatha paid tributes to Sikh martyrs and all those who contributed to the Sikh struggle for liberation. He emphasized that the Khalsa is a sovereign, sui generis entity and described Khalistan as a Sikh concept of state rooted in Gurmat principles such as Halemi Raj (rule with humility and justice), Beghampura (an egalitarian society), and Sarbat Da Bhala (welfare of all). He said that the establishment of Khalistan is essential for translating the Sikh vision of governance into reality.
Referring to international developments, Bhai Daljit Singh highlighted a recent conference held in Baku, Azerbaijan, hosted by a local think tank, where the Sikh issue was discussed at length. He also cautioned that the Indian state may attempt to create an atmosphere of chaos in Punjab and could target Sikh leadership under the pretext of law-and-order issues or gangsterism.
He further stated that at a time when the global order is passing through deep uncertainty and the region faces the risk of wider conflicts, it is imperative for Sikhs to build common platforms, institutionalize collective decision-making processes, and evolve joint leadership. These, he said, are among the key lessons of the 1986 Sarbat Khalsa and its Gurmata for the present era.
Dal Khalsa spokesperson S. Kanwarpal Singh described the 1986 Sarbat Khalsa as a pivotal moment in contemporary Sikh history that shaped the subsequent phase of the Sikh struggle.
“We are not merely commemorating the event; we are commemorating it jointly and announcing collective initiatives for the future,” he said, adding that all Sikh groups committed to the Sikh cause would be welcomed into this joint effort.
March to Akal Takht Sahib and Joint Declaration
At the conclusion of the conference, participants held a march to Sri Akal Takht Sahib, where a joint declaration was read out by Dal Khalsa acting president Paramjit Singh Mand on behalf of all four organizations. He was joined by Bhai Daljit Singh and Bhai Rajinder Singh Mughalwal of the Panch Pardhani Jatha, Prof. Mohinderpal Singh of Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar (Mann), and Bhai Bhupinder Singh of the Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara Committee.
The declaration announced two major initiatives:
First, the organizations resolved to develop a formal and contemporary institutional framework for convening Sarbat Khalsa and adopting Gurmata. The declaration stated that, through consultations with Panth-oriented groups and institutions worldwide, a draft code and procedural framework would be placed before the Khalsa Panth at Sri Akal Takht Sahib. This framework would define, in present-day conditions, how Sarbat Khalsa should be convened and conducted, including norms for participation and representation, deliberation and decision-making processes, institutional safeguards, transparency standards, and mechanisms for implementing and reviewing Gurmata in accordance with Khalsa traditions and principles.
Second, the declaration announced that on the 40th anniversary of the Khalistan Declaration—29 April 2026—a new joint policy document would be presented before the Sikh world. The statement recalled that on 29 April 1986, the Khalistan Declaration marked a milestone in the Sikh struggle for freedom. The organizations resolved to commemorate this anniversary at the Panthic level in 2026 and to observe 29 April every year thereafter as a day of remembrance. The aim, the declaration said, is to send a clear message to the people of Punjab and the international community that Sikhs seek to regain their sovereignty. It further stated that the envisioned Khalistan would be a continuation of the historical Sikh tradition of governance—from Baba Banda Singh Bahadur’s Khalsa Raj, through the Misl period’s Dal Khalsa administration, to the Sarkar-e-Khalsa under Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
In this context, the organizations announced that, drawing upon the experiences of the past four decades of struggle and keeping in view current Panthic and international conditions, they would coordinate with pro-Khalistan Sikh groups and institutions to prepare a joint strategic policy document outlining the future course of the Khalistan movement.
Reaffirmed Commitments
The declaration also reiterated two core pledges:
The first reaffirmed commitment to the goal of a sovereign and independent Punjab, presently articulated as Khalistan—envisioned as a state structure based on Sikh idea of state rooted in Gurmat principles, ensuring justice, dignity, freedom of conscience, and the welfare of all, in harmony with Sikh ideals of principled governance.
The second pledge emphasized the transfer of leadership to committed youth. The declaration announced an intention to bring dedicated and ideologically grounded young Sikhs to the forefront of revolutionary Sikh politics, under collective initiatives and with guidance from those who have long contributed to the leadership of the struggle.
Ardas
At the conclusion of the samagam, Ardas was performed before Sri Akal Takht Sahib by Bhai Mandhir Singh, seeking guidance and strength from Guru Sahib to fulfill the initiatives announced and the pledges made in the joint declaration.
