📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Voice of America
Religion
Sikh Groups Protest Mandatory Vande Mataram in Punjab, Demand Akal Takht Intervention
✍️ Amar Ujala · Punjab
🗓 26 Aug 2026, 08:03 PM
👁 43
Sikh leaders in Punjab have voiced strong opposition to the government's decision to make Vande Mataram mandatory, arguing it clashes with Sikh religious principles and have called on the Akal Takht to intervene.
The Punjab government has announced that singing Vande Mataram will be mandatory for all citizens, a move that has sparked immediate backlash from Sikh organizations across the state.
Sikh leaders argue that the directive conflicts with Sikh religious principles, which emphasize the distinct identity and autonomy of the faith. They contend that imposing a patriotic hymn that is not part of Sikh liturgy infringes on religious freedom and could create division among the community.
In response, prominent Sikh groups have demanded intervention from the Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority in Sikhism, and are threatening to seek legal recourse if the policy is not reversed.
So far, the government has not issued a formal reply to the protests, and the situation remains tense as Sikh leaders plan further demonstrations to press their case.
Sikh leaders argue that the directive conflicts with Sikh religious principles, which emphasize the distinct identity and autonomy of the faith. They contend that imposing a patriotic hymn that is not part of Sikh liturgy infringes on religious freedom and could create division among the community.
In response, prominent Sikh groups have demanded intervention from the Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority in Sikhism, and are threatening to seek legal recourse if the policy is not reversed.
So far, the government has not issued a formal reply to the protests, and the situation remains tense as Sikh leaders plan further demonstrations to press their case.