UNION Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday paid tributes to Sikh guru Gobind Singh, his sons on ‘Veer Bal Diwas’, saying their unmatched valour will continue to inspire future generations. December 26 is observed as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ to mark the martyrdom of the Sikh guru’s sons who laid down their lives while defending their faith. “On Veer Bal Diwas, I bow to Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s four Sahibzade. With supreme courage they stood against the brutal Mughal rule and chose martyrdom, refusing to convert. Their unmatched valour will continue to inspire generations to come,” Shah wrote on ‘X’. The Home Minister said by proclaiming their martyrdom day as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spread the saga of their sacrifice to every corner of the country and the world. On the occasion of Guru Gobind Singh’s birth anniversary on January 9, 2022, the Prime Minister had announced that December 26 would be observed as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’. India is on the cusp of making history, as it looks forward to becoming a developed nation by 2047, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday. Puri made the remarks after offering prayers at the Patna Sahib Gurudwara on the occasion of ‘Veer Bal Diwas’, which is being observed to commemorate the martyrdom of sons of Guru Gobind Singh. “We are on the cusp of making history. India looks forward to becoming a developed nation by 2047.

 

At such a point of time, commemoration of the martyrdom (‘shahadat’) is of immense value,” he said. Puri, who is the only Sikh in the Narendra Modi Cabinet, expressed delight upon visiting the historical site where the 10th Sikh Guru was born. “I consider myself privileged to be here on this occasion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last year announced that December 26 will be observed as ‘Veer Bal Diwas,” said the Union Minister, who was accompanied by senior leaders of the BJP in Bihar. Puri, who holds the crucial portfolios of Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas, also made a brief remark about the impressive economic prospects of the country. “Under the leadership of Modi, we have become the fifth-largest economy in the world. Very soon, we shall be among the top three,” said Puri. He is also scheduled to hold talks with party leaders and prominent members of the Sikh community here. Sikh community across the World thanks PM Modi: Members of the Sikh community in the US have extended their gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking the historical step to celebrate ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ in India and across the World.

 

A member of the Sikh community in the US, Jaspal Singh said, “We thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking the historical initiative to celebrate ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ nationwide.” The convenor of the Indian Minorities Foundation, Satnam Singh Sandhu, who was celebrating ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ at Gurudwara Sahib, Brookfield, emphasised that this move by PM Modi will help people know more about Sikh history. “The Indian Government has announced to commemorate the martyrdom of Sahibzadas as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’. The move will help people learn about Sikh history,” he said. Amar Singh Bhullar, Founder and MD of Hamdard Media Group in Canada, thanked PM Modi on behalf of the Canadian Sikh community as he declared a holiday on the occasion of Veer Bal Diwas. “We thank PM Narendra Modi as he has declared a holiday on Veer Bal Diwas. I thank him on behalf of the Canadian Sikh community...”