A day after the protests at Jantar Mantar ended, the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in central Delhi has returned to its usual weekend rhythm, with devotees replacing the protesting students who had made the place their shelter for food and rest during the agitation.
On Sunday night, more than 24 hours after the protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party were called off, a Tribune team visited the gurdwara around 9: 30 pm and found the premises bustling with the usual weekend crowd of devotees, young couples, senior citizens and visitors taking selfies.
“The protestors who had taken refuge here have gone back,” a volunteer at the entrance said when asked if any students were still around. A small group of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troop stood guard at both the entrances of the gurdwara – one from Ashoka Road and the other from Baba Kharak Singh Marg.
The gurudwara was witnessing its regular activities, with hundreds of devotees partaking in langar (community meal) at the air-conditioned langar hall on the ground floor, while another queue of devotees waited to enter the first-floor sanctum crowned by the iconic golden dome, one of Delhi's prominent landmarks.
Since July 20, when the Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) used batons during the protests, hundreds of protestors had spent nights at the gurudwara on mattresses provided by the management.
Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Harmeet Singh Kalka said, “Around 2,500-3,000 students were served langar at Bangla Sahib every day during the protests”.
He said the facilities were never stopped and no one’s entry was barred, adding that the Sikh community had received global appreciation for providing shelter and food to the protesting students.
Kalka also dismissed claims made by his rivals – former DSGMC presidents Paramjit Singh Sarna and Manjit Singh GK – saying “they have been making political statements out of frustration, nothing more”.
Sarna who heads the Delhi unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal, had on Saturday demanded the resignation of Kalka and his team, alleging that “government agencies dug up the approach road to Bangla Sahib in the wake of Gen-Z students taking shelter at the historic gurdwara during the Jantar Mantar protest”.
Kalka clarified, “No approach road had been dug up. An underground power cable inside the premises had developed a fault and was being repaired.”
Manjit had alleged that there were "attempts" to stop the langar-seva for the protesting students. Kalka rejected the claim, saying, “The langar is provided by the community and nothing was stopped”.
Amid the political statements, Gurdwara Bangla Sahib – spanning approximately 10 acres – continues to stand tall.
The complex accommodates several key facilities alongside the central shrine. These include the sacred Sarovar, a massive community kitchen and dining hall serving thousands of free meals daily, the Baba Baghel Singh Heritage Museum detailing Sikh history, and healthcare facilities including a charitable hospital and a low-cost diagnostic centre.