Lucknow, July 29 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday hailed the ‘unmatched’ contribution of the Sikh Gurus in safeguarding the dignity and culture of the nation and said India’s history would not be complete without mentioning the sacrifice of the Sikh gurus as they transformed their ‘bhakti’ into ‘shakti’ to protect the nation.
Marking the 401st ‘Prakash Utsav’ of Guru Tegh Bahadur at Raj Bhawan in the state capital, the CM 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 intentions of crushing our dharma to succeed.”
Extending his greetings on the occasion in the presence of UP Governor Anandiben Patel, Yogi Adityanath also expressed anger over the Sikh tradition not getting enough recognition. “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 tyrants” he said.
Remembering the martyrdom of the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh, he said to celebrate their legacy and sacrifice, the Prime Minister announced ‘Veer Bal Diwas’.
Yogi cited the example of many historical events from Aurangzeb’s regime. “Who does not know that Aurangzeb wanted the Sahibzade of Guru Gobind Singh 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 said.
He said the Sikh community is known for its dedication towards the nation in the entire world. “It is well known, who were the ones that drove the Kashmiri Hindus and Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir. Guru Tegh Bahadurji Maharaj was the one who protected the Kashmiri Pandits in the country,” he said.
The CM 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 said celebrations were possible only because of a fear-free environment. “Such events cannot be organised in Kabul,” he said.
Describing the organisation of ‘Langar’ in Gurudwaras as a wonderful tradition of humanity, the CM urged all the citizens to learn ‘Gurmukhi’ and embrace the rich Sikh tradition. He also launched the mobile application of ‘UP Punjabi Academy’ on the occasion.
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.
