PM participates in the celebrations of 400th Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji at Red Fort
Prime Minister releases a
commemorative coin and postage stamp on the occasion
“The country is moving ahead as per the teachings of the revered Gurus”
“India’s freedom from hundreds of years of slavery cannot be separated from its
spiritual and cultural journey”
“In front of Aurangzeb's tyrannical thinking Guru Tegh Bahadur ji, acted
as 'Hind di Chadar'”
“We feel blessings of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji everywhere in the aura of 'New
India’”
“We see 'Ek Bharat' everywhere in the form of the wisdom and blessings of
Gurus”
“Today's India strives for peace with complete stability even in the midst of
global conflicts, and India is equally firm for defence and security of the
country”
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi participated in the celebrations
of the 400th Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji at Red Fort in New Delhi
today. The Prime Minister offered prayers to Sri Guru Teg Bahadur ji. The
Prime Minister sat in prayer when 400 Ragis offered shabad/kirtan. The Prime
Minister was honoured by the Sikh leadership on the occasion. The Prime
Minister also released a commemorative coin and postage stamp on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that by the grace of
the Gurus the country is going ahead as per the teachings of the revered Gurus.
The Prime Minister bowed at the feet of the Gurus. The Prime Minister
underlined the historical significance of Red Fort as it witnessed the
martyrdom of Guru Teg Bahadur Ji and has been a reflection of the history and
aspiration of the nation. In this backdrop today’s programme at this historical
venue assumes great significance, he said.
The Prime Minister emphasized that India’s freedom from hundreds of year
of slavery and India’s independence cannot be separated from its spiritual and
cultural journey. That is why, the country is celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit
Mahotsav and 400th Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji together with
identical resolve. “Our Gurus always took the responsibility of society and
culture along with knowledge and spirituality. They made strength a medium of
service”, he added.
The Prime Minister said “this land of India is not just a country but it
is our great heritage and a great tradition. It has been nourished by our sages,
Gurus with hundreds of thousands of years of tapsaya and enrichment of its
thoughts.” Shri Modi said that nearby Gurudwara Sheeshganj Sahib, which is
symbol of Guru Teg Bahadur Ji’s immortal sacrifice, reminds us about the
enormity of Guru Teg Bahadur’s sacrifice. The Prime Minister recalled the
religious fanaticism and the extreme atrocities of those who resorted to
violence in the name of religion in that period. “At that time, a great hope
for India to save its identity emerged in the form of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji. In
front of Aurangzeb's tyrannical thinking Guru Tegh Bahadur ji, stood as
'Hind di Chadar', like a rock.”, the Prime Minister said. The sacrifice
of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji has inspired many generations of India to live and die
to protect the dignity of their culture and for its honor and respect. Big
powers have disappeared, big storms have calmed down, but India still stands
immortal, moving forward, He added. Today, Shri Modi stressed, once again the
world is looking towards India with hope and expectation. “We feel blessings of
Guru Tegh Bahadur ji everywhere in the aura of 'New India’”, The Prime Minister
said.
Underlining the presence of Guru’s impact and light of their wisdom in every nook and corner of the country, the Prime Minister said Guru Nanak Dev ji united the whole country in one thread. Guru Tegh Bahadur's followers were everywhere. Referring to holy Patna Sahib in Patna and Rakabganj Sahib in Delhi, the Prime Minister commented “we see 'Ek Bharat' everywhere in the form of the wisdom and blessings of Gurus”. Touching upon the government’s effort to celebrate Sikh heritage the Prime Minister pointed out that last year itself, the government decided to celebrate Veer Bal Diwas on 26th December in memory of the great sacrifice of Sahibzadas. The government is also making continuous efforts to connect the pilgrimages of Sikh tradition. Wait for Kartar Sahib is over and many government schemes are making pilgrimage of these holy places easy and accessible. Under Swadesh Darshan Scheme, a pilgrimage circuit is coming up comprising many prominent places including Anandpur Sahib and Amritsar Sahib. Ropeway work is progressing at Hemkunt Sahib.
Bowing to the glory of Guru Granth Sahib, Modi said “Sri Guru
Granth Sahib ji, for us, is a guide of self-realization as well as a living
form of India's diversity and unity. Therefore, the government left no stone
unturned when crisis arose in Afghanistan and the Holy ‘Swaroop’ of Guru Granth
Sahib was brought with all the respect.” He also said that by Citizenship
Amendment Act, path of citizenship for Sikhs and minorities coming from
neighbouring counties has been cleared.
Speaking about the philosophical core of India, the Prime Minister said
“India has never posed a threat to any country or society. Even today we think
for the welfare of the whole world. When we talk about self-reliant India, we
keep the progress of the whole world at the forefront.” Today's India
strives for peace with complete stability even in the midst of global conflicts,
and India is equally firm for defence and security of the country. Before us is
the great Sikh tradition given by the Gurus, he added.
The Gurus put forward new ideas by putting aside the old stereotypes.
Their disciples adopted them and learned from them. This social campaign of new
thinking was an innovation at the level of thinking. The Prime Minister
continued, “new thinking, continuous hard work and 100% dedication, this
is the identity of our Sikh society even today. This is the resolve of the
country today in the time of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. We have to be proud of
our identity. We have to be proud of the local, we have to build a self-reliant
India.