SC seeks govt response on plea for Guru Gobind Singh birth anniversary as public holiday

New Delhi, Jan 12 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a response from the Centre and states on a plea by All India Shiromani Singh Sabha, a Sikh organisation, seeking a uniform and non-arbitrary implementation of policy for declaring Guru Gobind Singh’s birth anniversary as a public holiday.
Senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing the petitioner, submitted before a bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde that the court should list the matter next week to ensure that the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh – the tenth Sikh Guru – is declared a public holiday this month itself, as it will be observed on January 20.
Singh said “it will be heartening something can be done, as the community have worked very hard amid pandemic (providing relief to people).” After a brief hearing, the bench also comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian issued notice on the plea saying that it will look into Singh’s request.
The plea, filed through advocate Durga Dutt, sought promotion and development of Sikh religious and cultural ethos. The plea said the important birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh who is a religious icon for the Sikh community, so far has not been declared a public holiday across the country, which has deeply aggrieved the Sikh organisation.
The petitioner contended that the birth anniversary of the tenth Sikh Guru should be allowed to be celebrated as ‘Prakash Parv’ throughout the country to instil a sense of patriotism, nationalism and brotherhood among the people.