Chief Minister extends warm welcome to the gathered sangat with ‘Ji Aaya Nu’
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh –
The sacred land of Gita and the Gurus witnessed a profoundly historic moment today. On the 350th Shaheedi Diwas of ‘Hind Di Chadar’ Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi graced a grand commemorative congregation organised by the Haryana Government at Jyotisar, Kurukshetra.
The solemn event was attended by Haryana Governor Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh, CM Nayab Singh Saini, UnionPower Minister Manohar Lal, Union Minister of State for Culture Rao Inderjit Singh, Union Minister of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar, several state ministers, MPs, MLAs, and an immense gathering of devotees.The ceremony began with prayers in the holy presence of Guru Granth Sahib and the resonant invocation, “Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.”
Addressing the sangat, the Chief Minister bowed in reverence to the unparalleled sacrifice of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, adding that his courage and principles had shaped generations with a spirit of fearlessness. He expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for choosing Haryana to pay homage to the revered Guru.
Guru Sahib’s message echoed across Haryana through statewide programmes
The Chief Minister shared that the state government, in collaboration with the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, organised a series of initiatives to take Guru Sahib’s teachings to every household. Beginning November 1, four sacred yatras were taken out from Rori, Pinjore, Faridabad and Sadhaura (Yamunanagar). In tribute to the 350th Shaheedi Diwas, 350 blood donation camps were organised across the state, collecting 27,000 units of blood. Schools across Haryana conducted essay competitions on the life of Guru Sahib in Sanskrit, Hindi, Punjabi and English, witnessing overwhelming participation from 3.5 lakh students. Similarly, 350 students took part in trilingual story-writing competitions.
He said that a national seminar was organised at Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, where the government has also decided to establish a dedicated Chair on the life, philosophy and contributions of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. Additionally, Government Polytechnic, Ambala has been renamed in honour of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. The Chief Minister added that the ‘Hind Di Chadar’ marathon held in Karnal drew participation from over 80,000 people.
A state-level ceremony was organised at Badkhalsa to honour the supreme sacrifice of Dada Kushal Singh Dahiya Ji, who offered his own head so that the Guru’s sacred head could reach Anandpur Sahib with dignity, he added.
The government has also decided to establish a forest in honour of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji at Kalesar in Yamunanagar. A total of 350 saplings have already been planted with students in the Wildlife Conservation Block, where a dedicated Dwar named after the Guru has been built.
Honouring the Gurus through national initiatives and Haryana’s own contributions
Saini acknowledged Prime Minister Modi’s initiatives during the 400th Prakash Purab of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji under the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, including the release of a commemorative stamp and coin. It was under the Prime Minister’s leadership that the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor became a reality, enabling 1,739 devotees from Haryana to visit Nankana Sahib.
In 2021, during turmoil in Afghanistan, the Prime Minister ensured the safe airlifting of three revered Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji to India. His effort also led to the annual observance of ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ nationwide in honour of the Sahibzadas—Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh—sons of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji.