Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a programme organised to mark the 'Veer Bal Diwas' at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi on Monday. The event was organised in the remembrance of last Sikh Guru- Guru Gobind Singh, his four sons (Sahibzade), and Mata Gujri Ji.
Watch: 'Aurangzeb and his people...': PM Modi slams forced conversions
“Against the terror of Aurangzeb, against his plans to change India, Guru Gobind Singh ji stood like a mountain. Aurangzeb and his people wanted to change the religion of Guru Gobin Singh's children by the force of a sword,” Modi said on the occasion.
Modi also said the world's history is filled with instances of atrocities. “Three centuries ago, Chamkaur and Sirhind wars were fought. On one side, there was Mughal Sultanate blind to communal extremism and on the other hand, there were our Gurus,” news agency ANI quoted Modi as saying.
{{/usCountry}}Modi also said the world's history is filled with instances of atrocities. “Three centuries ago, Chamkaur and Sirhind wars were fought. On one side, there was Mughal Sultanate blind to communal extremism and on the other hand, there were our Gurus,” news agency ANI quoted Modi as saying.
{{/usCountry}}“On the one hand, there was terrorism and on the other hand, there is spiritualism. On the one hand, there was communal mayhem, while on the other hand, there was liberalism...on one hand, there were forces of lakhs, while on the other hand, there were Veer Sahibzaade who didn't relent at all,” Modi added.
Describing Sahibzaades inspiration for generations, the prime minister said, “A country that has such history should be filled with confidence but unfortunately, in the name of history, we were taught only certain narratives which leads to an inferiority complex,” Modi said.
“If we want to take India to newer heights of success then we have to become free from the narrow perspectives of the past,” he said.
Modi also attended the ‘Shabad Kirtan’ being performed by around 300 Baal Kirtanis.
On the day of the Prakash Purab of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji on January 9, 2022, Modi had declared that December 26 will be marked as 'Veer Baal Diwas' to pay homage to the courage of the 'Sahibzades', the four sons of the last Sikh guru- Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
Why Veer Baal Diwas?
While all four sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji were martyred, the date is observed as the martyrdom day of the Sahibzadas- Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh - who are said to have been martyred at the tender ages of six and nine in Sirhind (Punjab) by Mughal forces on the orders of the then ruler Aurangzeb.
The place where the sons of the last Sikh Guru were buried alive is the present day's Fatehgarh Sahib.
(With inputs from agencies)