Punjab CM Mann pays homage to Saka Panja Sahib martyrs
Synopsis
The Chief Minister's Office of Punjab, on behalf of CM Bhagwant Singh Mann, offered tribute on 30 October 2026 to the martyrs of Saka Panja Sahib — the 1922 incident in which British forces fired on Sikh Akali protesters at Panja Sahib gurdwara in Hasan Abdal, now Pakistan, during the Gurdwara Reform Movement.
Key Takeaways
The Chief Minister's Office of Punjab posted a formal tribute to the martyrs of Saka Panja Sahib on 30 October 2026 .
Saka Panja Sahib refers to the 30 October 1922 incident in which British forces fired on unarmed Sikh Akali protesters near Panja Sahib gurdwara , killing several.
The tribute was issued on behalf of the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann of the Aam Aadmi Party .
Panja Sahib gurdwara is located in Hasan Abdal, Pakistan , making annual remembrance in Punjab particularly significant given restricted cross-border access.
The Gurdwara Reform Movement , galvanised in part by the Saka, led to the Sikh Gurdwaras Act of 1925 , placing historic shrines under elected Sikh management.
On the anniversary of one of the Gurdwara Reform Movement's most solemn moments, the Chief Minister's Office of Punjab offered tribute on 30 October 2026 to the martyrs of Saka Panja Sahib — the 1922 massacre in which British forces opened fire on unarmed Sikh Akali protesters at the sacred gurdwara of Panja Sahib.
The post, issued in Punjabi, reads: 'ਕੋਟਿਨ-ਕੋਟਿ ਪ੍ਰਣਾਮ' — 'salutations in the tens of millions' — to all the martyrs of Saka Panja Sahib, on behalf of the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.
The 1922 Saka and the fight for Gurdwara Reform
Saka Panja Sahib stands as a defining chapter in the Sikh Gurdwara Reform Movement — a sustained campaign by the Akali Dal to wrest historic shrines from the control of hereditary mahants (custodians) who operated under British patronage. On 30 October 1922, Sikh Akali protesters gathered near Panja Sahib gurdwara in Hasan Abdal — now in Pakistan's Attock district — to block a train carrying jailed Akali leaders. British forces fired on the crowd; several protesters were killed, and many were injured. Their refusal to disperse in the face of live rounds became a powerful symbol of nonviolent sacrifice. The episode helped galvanise political and public pressure that ultimately led to the passage of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act of 1925, placing historic shrines under elected Sikh management.A gurdwara across the border, a memory that stays home
Panja Sahib's location in present-day Pakistan means that most Sikhs can visit only on special pilgrimage windows negotiated between the two governments. That geographical separation lends the annual tribute an added weight — the site of sacrifice lies beyond reach, but the act of remembrance keeps the memory alive in Punjab. State governments across party lines have consistently observed the anniversary, recognising the Saka within the broader canvas of Punjab's contribution to the independence struggle. For Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and his Aam Aadmi Party government — which came to power in March 2022 — the tribute also signals continued state identification with Sikh heritage and the Gurdwara Reform legacy, a thread that runs deep in Punjab's political culture. A century on, the martyrs of Hasan Abdal are honoured not just in prayer, but in the unfinished promise that their sacrifice helped make possible.Point of View
Still consolidating its cultural credentials in a state where Sikh identity and political legitimacy are closely intertwined, the observance is both genuine remembrance and soft statecraft. The gurdwara's location in Pakistan also keeps the tribute subtly tied to the wider question of cross-border Sikh pilgrimage rights — an issue that periodically shapes India-Pakistan diplomatic exchanges. As long as Panja Sahib remains physically inaccessible to most Sikhs, the annual act of remembrance from Chandigarh will carry weight beyond ceremony.
NationPress
30 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Saka Panja Sahib?
Saka Panja Sahib refers to the incident of 30 October 1922 in which British colonial forces fired on Sikh Akali protesters who had gathered near Panja Sahib gurdwara in Hasan Abdal (now Pakistan) to block a train carrying jailed Akali leaders. Several protesters were killed. The event became a landmark moment in the Gurdwara Reform Movement .
Where is Panja Sahib gurdwara located?
Panja Sahib gurdwara is located in Hasan Abdal in Pakistan's Attock district, making it one of several major Sikh shrines that Indian Sikh pilgrims can access only through special bilateral pilgrimage arrangements.
Why did Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann pay tribute to Saka Panja Sahib martyrs?
30 October marks the anniversary of the 1922 Saka. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and the Punjab government issued the tribute as part of the state's longstanding tradition of honouring martyrs of the Gurdwara Reform Movement and Punjab's contribution to the independence struggle.
What was the outcome of the Gurdwara Reform Movement?
The sustained Akali campaign, which included events like Saka Panja Sahib, ultimately secured the passage of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act of 1925 , which placed the management of historic Sikh shrines under an elected Sikh body — the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
When did Bhagwant Mann become Chief Minister of Punjab?
Bhagwant Singh Mann became Chief Minister of Punjab in March 2022 after the Aam Aadmi Party won a landslide majority in the state assembly elections.
