Miri-Piri Day and Sikh Veterans Day celebrated in Norwich; Proclamations issued by Mayor, Connecticut Governor
Babushahi Bureau
Norwich, Connecticut, August 29, 2026: The World Gatka Federation, in collaboration with the Norwich Mayor’s Office, celebrated Miri-Piri Day and Sikh Veterans Day 2026 at Norwich City Hall, bringing together Sikh community leaders, prominent personalities and members of the community from across the East Coast.
The event highlighted the foundational principle of Miri-Piri, associated with the sixth Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, while commemorating the history, legacy and sacrifices of Sikh warriors.
According to Dr. Deep Singh, General Secretary of the World Gatka Federation, the programme began with an Ardas (prayer) led by Bhai Gagandeep Singh Bareilly of New York, followed by the national anthem of the United States. Simranjeet Singh and Gursimran Kaur performed Shabad Kirtan centred on the concept of Miri-Piri.
Sikh youth leader Gurpratap Singh spoke about the significance of Miri-Piri, highlighting important aspects of Sikh history and the Sikh Raj. S. Surinder Singh of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Washington, D.C., also addressed the gathering, explaining the significance of Miri-Piri and outlining his organisation’s community initiatives.
A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to S. Bhagat Singh Deikwala of Pennsylvania, a respected Panthic leader and representative of the World Sikh Parliament, in recognition of his longstanding service to the Sikh community. The award was presented by the leadership of the World Gatka Federation and Gatka Federation.
Special honours were also presented to Norwich Mayor Swarnjit Singh Khalsa and President Pro Tempore Joseph A. DeLucia, along with Alderman Zato Kadambaya.
A major highlight of the programme was the unveiling of a sculpture of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, created by sculptor and artist Samson Tonton, who attended the ceremony.
Other individuals honoured during the event included Dale Plummer, Norwich City Historian; Bobbie Bradboy, Director of Global City Norwich; S. Himmat Singh, Coordinator, and Harminder Singh Ahluwalia, both representing the World Sikh Parliament; Gurtej Singh Patiala; Hridaypal Singh; Gagandeep Singh of the Singh Cultural Society NY; S. Kular of Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar; Rajinder Singh of the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Society; and S. Angad Singh, representing local Sikh youth.
Addressing the gathering, Mayor Swarnjit Singh Khalsa expressed gratitude to the Sikh congregation and paid tribute to Gatka, the traditional Sikh martial art. He presented an official proclamation to Dr. Deep Singh, General Secretary of the World Gatka Federation. The proclamation was read aloud by S. Angad Singh.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont also issued an official proclamation recognising Miri-Piri Day as Sikh Veterans Day. During the occasion, he also announced a scholarship in local schools in memory of S. Jaswant Singh Khalra, the prominent human rights activist.
The event was supported by the Gatka Federation USA team, including S. Sujan Singh, Jaskeerat Singh, Gurpreet Singh Patiala, Sarbjit Kaur, S. Jasved Singh, Baljinder Singh Ludhiana and Arshdeep Singh.