Guru Nanak Gurpurab: Sacred Sikh festival to be celebrated in UK Parliament for the first time

British Sikhs will be celebrated the birthday of the first Sikh Guru in British Parliament for the first time on 25 November. The event is being organised by the Sikh Federation UK, the Sikh Network and the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Sikhs.

Around 50 MPs and Lords are expected to attend the Guru Nanak Gurpurab celebrations, alongside leaders from other religious faiths. Bishop of Manchester David Walker and Ibrahim Mogra of the Muslim Council of Britain are among those attending, while the Vatican is believed to have sent its greetings for the occasion.

A spokesperson for the Sikh Network said: "It is the first time that Guru Nanak Dev Ji's birthday is being marked in Parliament and it is a unique opportunity to share his universal message of one God, truth and equality."

Prominent British Sikhs are also believed to be attending the celebrations, including the first and only Sikh government minister, Parmjit Singh Dhanda. The Labour Party's Rob Marris, MP for Wolverhampton South West, was elected as chairman of the APPG for British Sikhs, which was formed almost 10 years ago to tackle issues relating to Sikhs living in the UK.

The APPG has worked on a number of issues concerning the welfare of British Sikhs, including introducing separate ethnic monitoring of Sikhs, a separate ethnic tick box for Sikhs, and the implementation of a monument in London to highlight the Sikh sacrifices during the First World War.

The UK's first ever national Sikh memorial for those who fought during the First World War was unveiled in Staffordshire on 31 October. More than 100,000 Sikhs fought during the war and a one minute silence was observed during the unveiling of the memorial to commemorate those Sikhs who lost their lives.

Prime Minister David Cameron has previously acknowledged the contribution made to the UK by British Sikhs, saying: "Sikhs have made an incredibly positive difference to the UK. One that is truly historic and enduring."