AI Generated Summary
- Even though the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi gave a grand welcome to the Nagar Kirtan that arrived from Punjab at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, the martyrdom day was not celebrated in such a way that the entire nation could learn about Guru Ji’s sacrifice.
- Fortunately, the present governments at the Centre and in Delhi pay homage to Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji’s martyrdom and acknowledge that because of him, Hindu Dharma survives, temples remain places of worship, and symbols like the tilak and janeu still exist.
- The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee will host religious gatherings at the Red Fort grounds from the 23rd to the 25th, where lakhs of devotees from India and abroad are expected to attend.
History bears witness that 350 years ago, if the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, had not sacrificed his life, the condition of this country would have been completely different. The emperor Aurangzeb, calling himself the ruler of time, wanted only one religion to exist in this country and forced everyone to adopt Islam. Anyone who refused was killed. Countless Hindus were put to death by him, for Aurangzeb would take his evening meal only after his soldiers placed before him sawa man of sacred threads (janeu). The janeu—a thin sacred thread weighing only a few grams—is a religious symbol of the Hindu faith.
Led by Pandit Kripa Ram, the Kashmiri Pandits appealed to Guru Ji for help, and responding to their plea, Guru Ji willingly offered himself for martyrdom. Before Guru Ji, his devoted disciples Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das, and Bhai Dayala were also martyred with extreme brutality. After their sacrifices, the people of the country were freed from Aurangzeb’s tyranny, and today every citizen lives with religious freedom.
In all the centuries that passed since then, Mughal and later British rule made it nearly impossible to celebrate this martyrdom on a grand scale. When Guru Ji’s 300th martyrdom anniversary was observed in 1975, the country was under Emergency. Even though the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi gave a grand welcome to the Nagar Kirtan that arrived from Punjab at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, the martyrdom day was not celebrated in such a way that the entire nation could learn about Guru Ji’s sacrifice.
Even today, school textbooks continue to teach the history of Aurangzeb and other Mughal rulers known for their cruelty, but make hardly any mention of Guru Tegh Bahadur—who sacrificed himself to protect faith and humanity. The Sikhs conquered Delhi 19 times, and after the 1783 victory, they hoisted the saffron Nishan Sahib atop the Red Fort. Perhaps it is because of that legacy that the tricolour flies high there today. Fortunately, the present governments at the Centre and in Delhi pay homage to Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji’s martyrdom and acknowledge that because of him, Hindu Dharma survives, temples remain places of worship, and symbols like the tilak and janeu still exist. For this reason, Guru Ji is remembered as the “Shield of India.”
After the announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Guru Ji’s martyrdom tercentenary would be celebrated at the governmental level, state governments across the country have joined hands with Sikh communities and committees to mark the event enthusiastically. In Bihar, the Nitish Kumar government, with the support of the Takht Patna Sahib Committee, organised a 42-day Shaheedi Jagriti Yatra that travelled through several states and concluded at Sri Anandpur Sahib. A Sarv-Dharma (interfaith) conference was held in Patna, where religious leaders from across the country narrated Guru Ji’s life and legacy in their own ways.
The governments of Haryana and Punjab are also organizing several programs. Meanwhile, the Rekha Gupta government in Delhi has been preparing for many days to make these moments historic. The Chief Minister himself has been closely monitoring the preparations along with Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa. The government is constructing a temporary auditorium at the Red Fort, where various religious programs, Gatka competitions, and more will be held. From the 19th onward, light-and-sound shows will be presented. An audio-video museum has also been created to depict Guru Ji’s martyrdom through visual displays.
On the evening of the 22nd, the entire road from Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib to the Red Fort will be washed clean. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee will host religious gatherings at the Red Fort grounds from the 23rd to the 25th, where lakhs of devotees from India and abroad are expected to attend. The Prime Minister, Home Minister, and representatives of various political parties may take part in the events.
All in all, Delhi is poised to create history—an event that will be remembered for centuries.
