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India’s history incomplete sans mention of Sikh gurus: U.P. CM Yogi
Yogi Adityanath was speaking at a programme that he along with governor Anandiben Patel attended at Raj Bhawan in Lucknow to mark the 401st Prakash Parv of Sikh Guru Teg Bahadur
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said India’s history would not be complete without making a mention of the sacrifice of the Sikh gurus who transformed their “bhakti” into “shakti” to protect the nation.
Yogi, wearing a saffron turban, hailed the “unmatched” contribution of the Sikh gurus in safeguarding the dignity and culture of the nation at a programme that he along with governor Anandiben Patel attended at Raj Bhawan here to mark the 401st “Prakashotsava” or “Prakash Parv” of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
Governor Anandiben Patel termed the Sikh tradition as the great culture of humanity. “The gurus enlightened us with all the qualities of humanity, including faith in religion, values, compassion, selfless service, and also inspired others to protect the nation,” she said.
Yogi said, “The selfless service and devotion with which the Sikh gurus protected the country has always been an inspiration for all countrymen. The Sikh gurus’ divine tradition never allowed the divisive foreign elements who came with the intentions of ‘crushing’ our ‘dharma’ to succeed.”
He expressed concern over the Sikh tradition not getting enough recognition, saying, “No country can develop without learning from its past. Even as we progress, we must keep our history intact. Sikh gurus remind us of the glorious victory of India over tyranny.”
The CM remembered the martyrdom of the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh and said to celebrate their legacy and sacrifice, the Prime Minister announced “Veer Bal Diwas”.
He referred to some historical events from Aurangzeb’s reign and said “Who does not know that Aurangzeb wanted the ‘Sahibzade’ of Guru Gobind Singhji to renounce their faith and abandon the teachings of the great guru traditions by luring them, but they chose getting buried alive to protect the country.”
He further said the Sikh community is known for its dedication towards the nation in the entire world. He said it was well known who drove the Kashmiri Hindus and Kashmiri Pandits away from Kashmir. “Guru Tegh Bahadurji Maharaj was the one who protected the Kashmiri Pandits in the country,” he said.
Yogi said, “Maharaja Ranjit Singh transformed the Kashi Vishwanath Temple into the Golden Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Aurangzeb destroyed the temple but Maharaja Ranjit Singh made the temple golden.”
He described the organisation of “Langar” in Gurdwaras as a wonderful tradition of humanity and urged all the citizens to learn “Gurmukhi” and embrace the rich Sikh tradition. The CM also launched the mobile application of “Uttar Pradesh Punjabi Academy” on the occasion.
