Rijiju Greets Nation on Guru Granth Sahib Gurugaddi Diwas
Synopsis
Union Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju greeted the nation on Gurugaddi Diwas, honouring Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji as the eternal Sikh Guru and invoking its teachings of love, equality, and service to humanity.
Key Takeaways
Kiren Rijiju , Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, greeted the nation on Gurugaddi Diwas on November 11, 2026 .
Gurugaddi Diwas marks the day in 1708 when Guru Gobind Singh Ji conferred perpetual Guruship on Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji .
Rijiju invoked the scripture's teachings of rising above caste, religion, and discrimination toward love, equality, and harmony.
As Minister of Minority Affairs , Rijiju's message carries institutional weight for India's Sikh community of approximately 2.08 crore people.
The Guru Granth Sahib is unique among religious scriptures in being accorded the status of a living, eternal Guru in Sikhism.
On the occasion of Gurugaddi Diwas — the day Guru Gobind Singh Ji conferred eternal Guruship upon the holy scripture — Union Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju extended heartfelt wishes to the nation on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, invoking the timeless teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji as a beacon of humanity, equality, and compassion.
Posting in Hindi on X, Rijiju wrote: 'श्री गुरु ग्रंथ साहिब जी के गुरुगद्दी दिवस की सभी को हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ' — 'Heartfelt greetings to all on the Gurugaddi Diwas of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.' He added that the sacred hymns and teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji — the eternal Guru of the Sikh faith — continuously inspire humanity to rise above caste, religion, and discrimination, and to walk the path of service, love, equality, and harmony.
The Significance of Gurugaddi Diwas
Gurugaddi Diwas marks the historic moment in 1708 when the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, declared Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji as the perpetual, living Guru of the Sikh community — a decision that placed a scripture, rather than a human successor, at the spiritual centre of the faith. That act remains one of the most distinctive features of Sikhism: the Guru Granth Sahib is not merely a holy book but is accorded the full status and reverence of a living Guru, installed in every Gurdwara with full ceremony and protocol.
The scripture's verses — drawn from the compositions of six Sikh Gurus and saints of multiple faiths and castes — embody precisely the inter-faith, egalitarian spirit Rijiju invoked in his message.
Rijiju's Role as Minority Affairs Minister
As Union Minister of Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju oversees policy that directly concerns India's Sikh community alongside other religious minorities. His message, issued in an official capacity, underscores the government's symbolic engagement with Sikh observances — particularly significant given the central importance of the Guru Granth Sahib to Sikh identity worldwide.
The greetings come at a moment when India's roughly 2.08 crore Sikhs — concentrated primarily in Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi — observe the Gurugaddi Diwas with prayers, kirtan programmes, and Nagar Kirtans at Gurdwaras across the country and in diaspora communities globally.
In the scripture's own spirit — that every human soul is equal before the divine — Rijiju's message lands as an institutional nod to the universalist values the Guru Granth Sahib has carried for over three centuries.
Point of View
His public invocation of the Guru Granth Sahib's egalitarian teachings aligns with the BJP-led government's broader outreach to Sikh constituencies, which carry decisive electoral weight in Punjab, Haryana, and urban Delhi. The choice to quote the scripture's universal values — service, love, equality — rather than any sectarian framing reflects a deliberate inter-faith register that Minority Affairs communications routinely deploy. It also signals continuity in the government's ceremonial acknowledgment of Sikh observances at the ministerial level. The message is unlikely to shift any policy needle, but its timing and language are carefully calibrated to resonate beyond the Sikh community.
NationPress
11 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Gurugaddi Diwas and why is it celebrated?
Gurugaddi Diwas commemorates the historic day in 1708 when Guru Gobind Singh Ji declared Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji the eternal, living Guru of the Sikhs, replacing the line of human Gurus. It is observed with prayers, kirtan, and Gurdwara ceremonies.
What did Kiren Rijiju say on Gurugaddi Diwas 2026?
Kiren Rijiju extended heartfelt greetings and said that the sacred teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji inspire humanity to rise above caste, religion, and discrimination and to walk the path of service, love, equality, and harmony.
Who is Kiren Rijiju?
Kiren Rijiju is a senior BJP leader from Arunachal Pradesh and currently serves as Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Minority Affairs in the Government of India.
Why does the Minority Affairs Minister comment on Sikh festivals?
As Union Minister of Minority Affairs, Rijiju's portfolio covers the welfare and affairs of India's religious minorities, which includes the Sikh community. Ministerial greetings on key Sikh observances are part of the government's official outreach.
When was Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji declared the eternal Guru?
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji was declared the eternal Guru of the Sikhs in 1708 by the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji , at Nanded in present-day Maharashtra.
