Narendra Modi became first Prime Minister to honor martyrdom of Sahibzadas
Tarun Chugh
When 26th December 2022 was celebrated as Veer Bal Diwas in India for the first time, the whole country came to know what a huge sacrifice Guru Gobind Singh Ji had to make for the protection of the country and religion. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ to mark the martyrdom of Sahibzada Baba Zorawar Singh Ji, son of Sri Guru Gobind Singh, a feeling of respect for Prime Minister Modiji arose in the entire country.
On Veer Bal Diwas, we also remember the courage of Sahibzadas and Mata Gujri Ji and Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Sahibzada Ajit Singh, Sahibzada Jujhar Singh, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh were the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
This incident of history still hurts us that all four Sahibzadas had to sacrifice to protect the religion, which has been recorded as the supreme sacrifice.
Veer Bal Diwas is celebrated in the honor of “Sahibzadas”. This date was chosen to mark the sacrifice of Sahibzadeh, the youngest of the four sons of the last Sikh Guru Guru Gobind Singh. On 26 December, the day of sacrifice of Sahibzadas Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh at the age of six and nine was observed.
For the first time after the announcement of Prime Minister Modiji, a historic programme in honor of “Veer Bal Diwas” was organized at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi. Through this historical date, along with making small children aware about the story of bravery of Sahibzadas, a message was given to be proud of the courage and strength of the youth and children of the country.
The first ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ was a new beginning to unitedly pay tribute to the sacrifice that we have been remembering for generations. Martyrdom Week and this Valiant Children’s Day are full of emotions as well as endless inspirations for the Sikh tradition. ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ inspires us that age does not matter in front of bravery.
‘Veer Bal Diwas’ tells us what is the sacrifice of all the ten Gurus for the self-respect of the country and the Sikh tradition? ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ will identify India and inspire us to know our past and build a powerful future. What is the potential of India’s young generation? How has India’s young generation protected the country in the past? How has our young generation brought India out of darkness? ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ will make this announcement for the times to come.
Guru’s brave Sahibzada, standing fearless despite being alone in the face of cruelty and fear, was neither afraid of any threat nor bowed down before anyone. Zorawar Singh Sahab and Fateh Singh Sahab were bricked alive in the wall. On the one hand, cruelty broke all its limits and on the other hand, all the standards of patience, bravery and valor were also broken.
Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh also set an example of bravery which has been inspiring for centuries. In a country which has such a heritage, such a history, it is natural to have self-respect and self-confidence.
In the golden age of independence, Prime Minister Modi ji started celebrating Veer Bal Diwas to free the country from the mentality of slavery, in which there is a big message hidden for us. Today, when the youth of India have set out to take the country to new heights, the role of Veer Bal Diwas on 26th December has become even more important. The Sikh Guru tradition is not just a tradition of faith and spirituality. This is also the source of inspiration for the idea of ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’.
What will the future generation of India be like? It also depends on who it is taking inspiration from? The level of sacrifice made by the Sahibzadas cannot be found in any other country in the world. Now under the leadership of Prime Minister Modiji, the new India is correcting the old mistakes made decades ago.
Any nation is identified by its principles, values and ideals. We have seen in history that when the values of a nation change, within a short time its future also changes. And, these values remain safe when the ideals of the past are clear to the present generation.
The young generation always needs inspiration and role models to move forward. The young generation needs to know the history of heroes with great personalities to learn and take inspiration.
In the nectar of independence, the country is making efforts to revive the history of the freedom struggle. We are all working to make the contributions of our freedom fighters, brave women and tribal society reach the common people. A historical date like ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ will also play the role of an effective beacon in this direction.
We need to together take the message of Veer Bal Diwas to every corner of the country, so that the people of the country know the history of their sacrifice and sacrifice, people know the courage and bravery of their ancestors.
In this series, the message of the lives of our four Sahibzadas should reach every child of the country and they should take inspiration from them and become dedicated citizens of the country. These ideals, inspiration and messages of ours will give new energy to our goal of a strong and developed India. Salutations at the feet of Veer Sahibzadas on Brave Children’s Day!
(The author is the National General Secretary of BJP).