SPEECH: Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib ( Sikh) 16th June 2017

HANSARD CHAMBER GREEN

Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib ( Sikh)

Mr BURKE (Watson—Manager of Opposition Business) 10-5-2017

I next want to acknowledge the Sikh communities in Australia, who, on 16 June, here and around the world will be commemorating the martyrdom of Arjan Dev Sahib. The date marks the anniversary of his martyrdom. He is the fifth of the 10 revered Sikhs who made the ultimate sacrifice of their life to establish the Sikh faith. The Sikh's story of his sacrifice was that he was tortured for five days by the government of the Mughal emperor, and on the sixth day, after being taken to the river to bathe, disappeared and was never seen again. The day of remembrance is often observed by readings of the Sikh holy book, musical recitation of hymns from the Sri Granth Sahib, the central religious scripture in the Sikh faith, and lectures on Sikhism. The Sikh community in Australia has played a significant role in the Australian story for more than a century and continues to play an integral role in the fabric of our modern multicultural society through contributions to community and the broader Australian society.